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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 7 asked in the Legislative Council on 4 May 2021 by Hon Dr Steve Thomas

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — ELECTIVE AND NON-URGENT SURGERY

7. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the Minister for Health:

I refer to the deferral of elective and non-urgent surgery in hospitals in Western Australia attributed to the COVID crisis.

(1) What is the total number of surgeries that have been deferred or postponed in Western Australia in both the public and private health systems in the 2020–21 financial year to date as a result of COVID?

(2) Has the Department of Health calculated the total amount of expenditure saved by the government as a result of those deferrals and postponements in 2020–21?

(3) If yes to (2), what is the amount saved?

(4) How many deferred or postponed surgeries scheduled for 2020–21 to date have not been completed and when does the government expect to catch up on them?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank Hon Dr Steve Thomas, Leader of the Opposition, for some notice of the question. Congratulations to him on his ascension to the role.

(1) There were 819 surgeries deferred in the Western Australian public health system as of 2 May 2021.

(2)–(3) It is not possible to accurately calculate the value of the surgeries deferred as weightings and associated costs are variable and attributed to the cases performed. However, COVID-19 has resulted in additional significant costs incurred across the entire WA health system.

(4) An elective surgery blitz was implemented from July 2020, with 91 144 patients admitted as part of the blitz. By the end of December 2020, the proportion of overdue elective procedures in WA was back to below the pre-COVID level. Elective surgeries are rebooked according to waitlist management practices to ensure all patients are treated within clinically appropriate time frames.