Elective surgery continues at WGH

Elective surgery at West Gippsland Hospital will continue at 75 per cent capacity despite cancellations at hospitals across Melbourne.

All non-urgent category two elective surgery across public and private hospitals in metropolitan Melbourne has been paused, to enable hospitals to have the beds, equipment and staff available if aged care residents need to be transferred.

Under the current arrangements, West Gippsland Healthcare Group chief executive officer Dan Weeks said the hospital could operate at up to 75 per cent of normal elective surgery activity.

However, Mr Weeks said if the patient, surgeon or anaesthetist comes from or worked in a stage four lock down area, then they could not have the elective surgery in Warragul.

“As this applies to the majority of our surgeons, we are unlikely to reach 75 per cent surgery anyway,” he said.

Mr Weeks said surgeons and specialists could consult and do surgery on urgent elective cases (category one, urgent category two and cancer related, but could not do nonurgent elective surgery.

He said he was waiting confirmation on whether the stage four metropolitan restrictions would change the current arrangements.

Premier Daniel Andrews said last week there would be no changes to elective surgery in regional Victoria, but regional cases would continue to be monitored to ensure those hospitals have the resources and capacity they need to manage any increase in presentations.