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.