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Brumby must shed light on hidden waiting lists
7 August 2009.
AMA Victoria today called on the Brumby Government to begin publishing the state’s hidden waiting lists and implement the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission’s (NHHRC) recommendation to cut hospital outpatient waiting times.
AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley welcomed the NHHRC’s proposed timeframes for outpatient care – two weeks for a patient with life-threatening conditions and three months for non-urgent patients – saying that shorter waits would improve patient outcomes.
“Victorians needing surgery can be forced to wait years for an outpatient clinic appointment before they’re put on the elective surgery waiting list,” Dr Hemley said. “During this time they will have a reduced quality of life. They may be in a lot of pain or experiencing disability.
“The time patients initially wait to see a specialist is not currently recorded or reported by the government. The whole truth needs to be reported so resources can be channeled into reducing these waits.”
Dr Hemley said elderly men and women needing hip replacements might wait 12 months to be seen in an outpatient clinic, then wait a further 6 months on the “official” surgical waiting list. “Most people would see that as an 18-month wait, not a 6 month wait, as officially reported,” he said.
“Patients deserve to know how long they’re expected to wait for their surgery.”
In April, the Auditor General recommended the Victorian Government publish the public hospital outpatient clinic waiting times to accurately represent the waiting experience of many patients. The government said no.
“The Victorian Government can’t get away with hiding outpatient waiting lists any longer,” Dr Hemley said. “It must make a commitment to publish all of the hidden waiting lists and reduce these waits in line with the NHHRC’s recommended outpatient treatment times.”
The Commonwealth Government will consider the NHHRC report over the next six months but Dr Hemley said reporting outpatient clinic waiting times was something the Victorian Government could begin immediately.
Dr Hemley was pleased the NHHRC acknowledged sustained government neglect of public hospital outpatient clinics but said capped funding was not the answer.
“Where the money comes from isn’t an issue; what’s important is an increase of funds to improve these vital services,” he said.
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