The Liberal Government has admitted in their Annual Service Plan that right from the outset they expect 30% of elective surgery patients won’t be seen within clinically recommended timeframes. This is a shocking failure of Tasmania’s health system.
It’s completely outrageous that the Liberals anticipate up to 30% of elective surgery patients will wait too long to be seen, and a clear indicator of the Liberals’ failure to fix the crisis in the health system.
Everyone who needs elective surgery should be seen on time. Let’s be clear – elective surgeries aren’t optional. They’ve been recommended by specialist clinicians as medically necessary for health issues from cancer to hip replacements.
The Liberals at least used to say they were trying to see patients on time. Now, rather than fix health so every patient is seen on time, they’re releasing plans that bake in delays and will leave too many people waiting in pain.
Five years ago, the Liberals committed to reducing the elective surgery waitlist to 5,400. There are now more than 9,400 people on that waitlist. Health dashboard data also shows only 59% of patients are currently being seen within the recommended time, demonstrating just how far the government has to go to meet even their reduced target.
Meanwhile, 5% of category 1 elective surgery patients are waiting longer than they should. That’s patients who should be seen within 30 days, including patients with cancer, waiting for care.
This has real consequences for real people. We’re regularly contacted by people on the elective surgery waitlist with serious conditions who are not being seen on time and suffering the health impacts.
These are the devastating consequence of the Liberals’ $700 million cuts to health. How can the Health Minister stand by and let this happen?
