Hospital surgery numbers rise

CRANBOURNE Integrated Care Centre is doing its bit to relieve pressures on Victoria’s surgery waiting list.
The State Government recently announced that 200,000 Victorians had had elective surgery operations since its $52-million elective surgery blitz began about 18 months ago.
Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre was playing its part in the improvements to the hospital system.
Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre treated 5961 patients in the six months to the end of December – up from 5098 patients treated in the same period the previous year.
Citing the Your Hospitals report, Ms Pike also said the Casey Hospital was performing well in several key hospital areas.
The number of urgent elective-surgery patients treated at Casey Hospital in the six months to the end of December was up by 175 patients on the previous six months.
The number of semi-urgent elective-surgery patients on the waiting list was down by 317, non-urgent elective-surgery waiting list patients were down by 237 and all urgent elective-surgery patients were treated within 30 days.
“We are continuing to provide elective-surgery operations for around 375 people a day (in Victoria),” Ms Pike said.
“While these numbers are a great result and they show what a wonderful job our hospitals are doing, demand for health services is increasing with our hospitals admitting 300,000 more people than they did in 1999.”
Ms Pike said the report showed there were 37,197 patients on elective-surgery waiting lists – well below the 40,301 that were waiting for their elective surgery at the end of December 1999.
“The Bracks Government is turning around our health system by investing in the treatment of more patients,” Ms Pike said.