Independent Bureau of Health figures for the October-December quarter released today continue to show that Wollongong Hospital is under significant pressure with some patients waiting more than 400 days for elective surgery procedures.

Patients waiting longer for elective surgery include:

• Ear, nose and throat – 179 days (compared to 131 days for same period last year)
• Gynaecology – 46 days (compared to 21 days for the same period last year)
• Orthopaedic surgery – 91 days (compared to 56 days for the same period last year)
• Urology – 35 days (compared to 29 days for the same period last year).

Patients waiting longer for elective surgery for common procedures include:

• Abdominal hysterectomy – 355 days (compared to 86 for the same period last year)
• Total hip replacement – 359 days (compared to 242 days for the same period last year)
• Total knee replacement – 385 days (compared to 318 days for the same period last year).

More patients have been added to the elective surgery waiting list during the October-December quarter with a 12% increase in patients ready for elective surgery at the start of October and 16% increase in patients ready for elective surgery at the end of December. 

Wollongong Hospital failed to meet the NSW benchmark for the percentage of patients (89%) who received semi-urgent surgery within the clinically recommended timeframe.

Wollongong Hospital also has the highest emergency department waiting times outside of metropolitan Sydney.

Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully, has repeated his call for an independent, external inquiry to examine the funding and resourcing provided to Wollongong Hospital.

Comments attributable to Paul Scully:

“The Bureau of Health Statistic figures confirm that Wollongong Hospital is under substantial pressure and waiting lists for elective surgery procedures have blown out.

“The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District is crying out for more resources and more funding.

“The Government should heed my call and establish an independent, external inquiry so we can work out exactly what funding resources are needed at Wollongong Hospital to tackle these elective surgery waiting lists.

“All of us who have interacted with the staff at Wollongong Hospital know that they are doing a good job with the resources they have but our needs seem to continue to be ignored when budgets are allocated in Macquarie Street.”