The Hodgman Liberal Government’s additional $76 million to help Tasmanians get their elective surgery sooner is paying off.
Our elective surgery plan is working and delivering real benefits for Tasmanians: under the former Labor-Greens Government, the wait list had blown out to more than 7200 at the end of August 2013, we have been able to reduce that to just over 5900 at the end of August, which is the lowest since records were kept.
Our progress in reducing the wait list has continued through winter, with more than 5300 Tasmanians receiving their elective surgery.
This is more than 900 additional operations than the same period last year and is made up of more than 2100 people on the waiting lists at the Royal Hobart and Launceston General hospitals, and 1100 people at the North West Regional and Mersey Community hospitals.
At the same time, we also saw 300 fewer surgery cancellations – a decline of 40 per cent.
As part of our One Health System reforms we have also opened more theatres, recruited more staff and we are making better use of public and private hospitals.
The most common surgeries for children were ear, nose and throat procedures such as tonsillectomies, for adults it was hernia repairs and gall bladder removals and for older Tasmanians, cataract removals.
The government is also committed to reducing the time people are waiting for surgery and this has also fallen to its lowest point since records commenced in 2005.
In August 2013 this sat at 3400 Tasmanians, at the end of August this year that had reduced by 64 per cent to 1221.
There is always more to be done which is why the Government is committed to continuing to roll out our One Health system reforms which are aimed at providing Tasmanians with access to higher quality services and better outcomes.
