VICTORIA’S elective surgery waitlist could be halved under a Liberal and Nationals election pledge to fund additional operations and give public patients access to private hospitals at no cost.
The proposed SurgerySooner program would deliver an extra 25,000 surgeries annually through partnerships with more than 100 private hospitals and day surgeries across Victoria.
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said the plan would improve regional patients’ access to treatment if the Coalition wins November’s state election.
“People in our communities are waiting for surgery, and for some, that wait is affecting their ability to work, care for their families and get on with their lives,” she said.
“Regional Victorians already travel further for specialist care. They shouldn’t then have to wait even longer for treatment.
“If a private hospital has capacity, public patients should be able to use it without paying.”
The program would cover procedures including hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, hernia repairs, gynaecological procedures, gastroscopies and colonoscopies.
According to the Coalition, Victoria’s elective surgery waitlist has grown to almost 69,000 people, an increase of more than 10,000 compared with the same time last year.
Ms Cleeland pointed to Queensland’s Surgery Connect program as a model, with the Coalition citing a reported 38 per cent reduction in patients waiting longer than clinically recommended.
“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” she said.
“Queensland is already doing this, and we should be doing the same in Victoria.”
SurgerySooner would cost $1.27 billion over four years, with the Coalition proposing to fund it by winding up Breakthrough Victoria.
The election commitment also includes a $99 million fund for up to 10 new or expanded patient discharge lounges at Victorian hospitals.
The lounges would provide a dedicated space for patients who are medically ready to go home but are waiting for medication, transport or final discharge arrangements.
“When beds are tied up by patients who are ready to go home, it puts even more pressure on emergency departments, nurses, doctors and paramedics,” she said.
