Extra ops ruled out
Cairns not part of 7-day project
SEVEN day a week surgeries will not be scheduled at Cairns Hospital to help alleviate waiting times for elective surgery patients in the Far North.
Health Minister Steven Miles yesterday announced a $20 million plan to slash the backlog of 56,000 Queenslanders waiting years for surgery.
The plan includes scheduling seven-day surgeries, by establishing temporary weekend and after hours patient clinics, and operating theatre lists at public hospitals. However a spokeswoman for the Minister confirmed that seven-day surgeries would not be scheduled at Cairns Hospital, to help clear the backlog of elective surgery patients.
The latest figures from Queensland Health, as of January, show that there are 16 patients who have been waiting more than a year for elective surgery through the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service.
There are also 45 patients who have been waiting longer than 90 days for elective surgery at CHHHS.
The Minister’s spokeswoman, however, said breast reconstructive surgery had been expedited for patients who had been waiting for an operation at the health service, as they would be flown to Brisbane.
Tablelands woman Kate Yeoman, who has been waiting eight years for breast reconstructive surgery after surviving breast cancer, has her surgery scheduled in Cairns on April 2.
Ms Yeoman cried tears of joy when News Corp told her of the government’s investment to easing elective surgery lists late last week.
“This is life-changing for so many,” she said.
As part of its waiting list plan, the Queensland Government will also demand that the Commonwealth makes private health insurance more affordable in order to ease the burden on the state’s public hospitals.