Mr Frank Wiggins went into surgery this afternoon. Specialist plastic surgery was required for Mr Wiggins’ substantial injuries which were sustained during a fall.
Mr Wiggins was admitted late on Sunday evening at the LGH and scheduled for specialised plastic surgery on Monday.
I have been advised that the prioritisation of emergency cases by the plastic surgeon, not staff shortages, meant Mr Wiggins’ surgery would have had to occur very late in the evening.
A clinical decision was consequently made that it was unsafe to perform such complex surgery at such a late hour.
This has been a distressing time for Mr Wiggins and his family, to whom I have spoken personally.
I am pleased that Mr Wiggins is receiving surgery today, as I was very disturbed when his daughter first contacted me this morning with his story.
After receiving her email, I asked the THS CEO to thoroughly investigate what has occurred.
As our health reforms demonstrate, patient care is this Government’s highest priority in health. The Government has made a record investment in the LGH, which has significantly more staff than it did two years ago.
We recognise the public interest in this particular circumstance and agree that any case of an elderly person having to wait for care is distressing. I give our continued commitment to the reform agenda which is all about getting our hospitals working together and achieving better results for all Tasmanians.
