Urgent action, worth $4.1b, is needed to address the severe backlog of planned surgeries, says the AMA in its latest public hospitals report card.
Wait times for planned surgeries in public hospitals are the longest on record – 49 days – and have almost doubled over two decades, according to the AMA’s new Public Hospital Report Card.
The Association has written to health ministers urging immediate action, ahead of a meeting in Canberra today.
“It will be no surprise to many that our hospitals are in crisis,” said AMA vice president Dr Danielle McMullen.
“But it’s not just our emergency departments in crisis. Our planned surgery wait times are the longest on record.
“That means that we’re seeing patients waiting in pain with disability, unable to work or participate in their family lives because they’re waiting too long for these essential surgeries.”
The report, which was released today, found that patients waited, on average, 49 days for planned surgery in 2023, a substantial increase from 27 days in 2003.
The number of patients receiving semi-urgent category 2 surgeries – such as heart valve and congenital cardiac defects – on time are also at the lowest level on record, the report found.
“These surgeries are essential and urgent — they are not elective or cosmetic and every day of waiting can bring serious pain and increased risks to patients,” said AMA president Professor Steve Robson.
According to Professor Robson, while last year’s announcement from the federal government to inject more money into the National Health Reform Agreement was welcomed, action won’t come soon enough.
“The new agreement will still need more investment and agreement by all health ministers,” he said.
“It also doesn’t come into effect until 2025. Urgent action is needed now.”
In a bid to incite change, the AMA penned a letter to health ministers, sent alongside the report card, reiterating calls for a $4.1 billion investment plan to circumvent the immediate backlog while the new NHRA is in the works.
“Split evenly between the Commonwealth and the states and territories, the plan would see the Commonwealth provide an advanced payment to support state and territory governments to expand their capacity,” Professor Robson said in the letter.
“The arrangements must be flexible to allow utilisation of capacity in the private sector, and support training and capacity building.
“Robust and transparent reporting mechanisms must be put in place to ensure patients are benefiting from the investment.
“We know this will not be an easy task, but the results from this report card show we cannot afford to wait any longer.”
Emergency departments also remain “logjammed”, said Professor Robson.
Across all ED categories, apart from resuscitation, the national average of patients seen on time is at the lowest level over the last decade, the report found.
In all triage categories, the proportion of patients who were discharged within four hours is the lowest since 2011 and has fallen 14% since before the pandemic to 56%.
Interestingly, public expenditure on hospitals has seen a jump in state and territory investment over recent years.
“In 2021‒22 (latest data), per person funding for public hospital resources across Australia has seen a major jump in the contribution of state and territory governments, contrasted by another small increase from the Commonwealth Government,” read the report.
“While funding for public hospitals is gradually increasing, performance continues to decline, and a disproportionate funding burden continues to fall on state and territory governments.
“Funding arrangements require a refreshed approach to ensure that we are appropriately investing in the healthcare of Australia’s population.”
Professor Robson encouraged all levels of government to consider the association’s findings when discussing the NHRA.
“We need performance-based funding designed to incentivise improved patient outcomes,” he said
“We need stronger alignment across our health system, including better integration with NDIS and aged care.
“We need proper investment in primary care to alleviate the burden on our public hospitals while improving the wellbeing of Australians.”