The NSW Government will invest more than $200 million to reduce overdue surgeries, including those impacted by recent industrial action by allocating:
- $18.6 million towards fast tracking planned surgeries; and
- $186.4 million towards boosting hospital capacity to ensure planned surgeries can continue to be delivered on time.
Fast tracking planned surgeries
The allocation of $18.6 million will be used to open additional theatre lists at some hospitals on evenings and weekends and to roster additional staff in operating theatres, allowing more procedures to be performed.
This funding will speed up access for public patients awaiting planned surgery, including those patients whose planned surgeries were postponed due to recent industrial action on 10 and 24 September, as well as on 13 November.
Since the Minns Labor Government established the Surgical Care Governance Taskforce in March 2023, NSW public hospitals reduced the number of patients waiting longer than clinically recommended for a planned surgery by 86 per cent, from around 14,000 to around 1,900 at the end of June 2024.
But following industrial action as well as seasonal factors, the number of overdue surgeries has now increased to almost 4,000.
Boosting capacity to deliver planned surgeries on time
An investment of $186.4 million will go towards boosting hospital capacity across NSW.
This includes ensuring all Local Health Districts have additional funds for staff, treatment spaces and hospital activity.
A challenging flu season coincided with RSV and COVID waves which also meant higher than anticipated demand on our hospital system.
This investment means hospitals have the capacity to continue delivering planned surgeries on time.
NSW Government's commitment to improving access to care
This investment builds on the NSW Government's plan to build a better health system and alleviate pressure on the state's busy hospitals, including:
- investing $480.7 million in an ED relief package which will help to avoid an estimated 290,000 visits to emergency departments each year by providing alternatives to EDs and improving patient flow;
- boosting staff and treatment spaces;
- reducing overdue surgeries by safely increasing short stay procedures; and
- empowering pharmacies to prescribe low complex medications, relieving pressure on our GPs.
It's part of the Government's record health budget of over $35.1 billion handed down in June 2024.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"We are determined to ensure everyone who needs surgery in NSW gets it as quickly as possible and that's why we are making this significant investment to boost planned surgery activity.
"While all emergency surgery continued throughout the recent industrial action, unfortunately it did lead to surgeries being postponed for many people on our planned surgery lists on those days.
"This was obviously very disappointing for those people and it also had a knock-on impact for others due to receive a planned surgery, so this investment will help address this setback and ensure we are continuing to see everyone as quickly as we can."
Quotes attributable to NSW Health Deputy Secretary System Sustainability and Performance Adjunct Professor Matthew Daly:
"We know it is very frustrating for people when a procedure is postponed or they wait longer than they expect to for a planned surgery. Our staff are working incredibly hard and we thank the community for their patience as we work to perform all procedures safely and as soon as possible.
"Any patients who feel their condition has deteriorated while waiting for their procedure are encouraged to contact their treating doctor for a clinical review and they can be placed in a higher urgency category if required."
