Thousands of Victorians die waiting for elective surgery

    Brigid O'Connell
    Herald Sun
    December 31, 2012


MORE than 3600 Victorians have died awaiting elective surgery in the past five years - many spent their final months in pain or immobile.    

Records obtained by the Herald Sun via Freedom of Information laws document for the first time the age and sex of each of the patients and the surgery needed.

Those who waited the longest include:

A MAN, 69, who waited 1007 days for a semi-urgent colonoscopy at Dandenong Hospital - an operation he should've had within 90 days.

A CHILD who, after waiting a year for a spinal fusion rod, died at Royal Children's Hospital on the day of treatment.

A WOMAN, 48, who died after waiting 218 days for a heart valve replacement at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The operation should have occurred within 90 days.

The data shows more than 400 patients who died were aged under 65. The most commonly needed procedures were knee and hip replacements and bladder

The Royal Children's Hospital recorded 28 deaths since 2007. All were awaiting semi or non-urgent procedures, and were within the treatment time frame.

Elective surgery waiting lists to blow out

The youngest patients elsewhere included two 21-year-old men who needed exploratory surgery of the bladder.

One waited 96 days for a cystoscopy - six days over the target time - at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Overall, from January, 2007, to June, 2012, patients waited the longest for knee replacements, prostatectomies, hip replacements, and operations to repair hernias.

Hospitals warn that a funding feud between State and Federal Governments could see waiting lists for less urgent elective surgery double over the next six months.

The largest number of patients who died were awaiting semi-urgent category 2 operations.

An annual average of 330 patients died awaiting surgery, including hip replacements and spinal fusions, which should have been done within 90 days.

An average of 115 people awaiting urgent category 1 operations died each year. And 270 patients needing non-urgent surgery died.    

Opposition health spokesman Gavin Jennings said the figures were tragic, and the Government was undoing years' investment in cutting elective surgery waiting lists.

Health Minister David Davis's spokesman said more than half those dying were awaiting surgery for non-life-threatening conditions.

"The listing of a person as having died while on the elective surgery waiting list does not mean they died from the condition for which they were awaiting surgery," she said.

Austin Health chief Dr Brendan Murphy said it couldn't be concluded that earlier surgery would have prevented these deaths.

"In the great majority of cases, deaths ... are due to causes completely unrelated to the condition awaiting surgery and more reflective of the age of the patient."


Comments

    Pensioner of Werribee Posted at 10:17 AM Today

        James of East Bentleigh, I do not know where you get your information, The deaths have occurred over the last 5 years, that is not a majority time of Labour government. Subby of Mordialloc, I have had top private health insurance all my life until the last 3 years. Now I am on a pension it was not the premiums that were of concern but the over the top out of pocket expenses the private system charged.    

    Fletch of Melbourne Posted at 10:17 AM Today

        Suddy of Mordialloc - Bully for your mother and in-laws being able to afford private health insurance, but not everyone can - whether on a pension or not. I suggest you stop criticising people when you are ignorant of their circumstances. Remember this - the cost of private health insurance has always been expensive even when it first started many, many years ago. I was earning a good wage when private health insurance first came into vogue BUT STILL COULD NOT AFFORD THE RATES.    

    pcaman2003 Posted at 10:03 AM Today

        Yep! Australia has turned into a bunch of whinging Poms. Is there nothing you people won't have a sook about these days? If you're not happy, go live in Mogadishu,or New Delhi,or Mexico city and see how much you love it there. Believe me, you have absolutely nothing to whinge about in this great country. But please, stop knocking it all the time......it's monotonous hearing your constant gripes.    

   

Innocent bystander wrote on Dec 31^st, 2012 at 10:07am:


Oh dear! Magic pudding politics.

His doctor is getting worried! What's he got to get worried about?
There is always private health insurance. I know many people could never afford it, but then there are others who could if they gave up something else in their lives, like smoking & drinking, or an expensive car or whatever.
For every person who goes private that makes more room in the public system for those who need it.
And there are people, especially under 40, who could afford it but won't. There should be more tax pressure on them to join a fund. Again that makes room.
And of course we have the Gillard amendments which make things worse by forcing some more out of the private system. And all because they want some more bucks for the surplus that never was.
Just looking at the figures in the OP, I know I could get a hip replacement in a couple of months or less. Or a colonoscopy in weeks, urgent or not.
If you could afford it you would be crazy not to be in a health fund.

Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, if they get more funding they'll just get more chiefs such is the rort that free health care has become.
Doctors write their own paychecks, what a great system ... not!

Innocent bystander wrote on Dec 31^st, 2012 at 4:37pm:


its the same as the education system. the bulk of the money goes to non-medical matters.  if you eliminated the dept of health there would be absolute chaos BUT there would be the money to pay for doctors, hospital beds and nurses.

if the choice is chaos where you get health care vs orderly denial of service...

easy choice.

adelcrow wrote on Dec 31^st, 2012 at 4:58pm:


by a liar.

adelcrow wrote on Dec 31^st, 2012 at 4:58pm:


Yeah the signs have been there since howard. . .

SOB

adelcrow wrote on Dec 31^st, 2012 at 4:58pm:



I know. Third world here we come.

I know people who go to Thailand for surgery, cheap with first class service and care. If it's anything like their dental, I highly recommend it, wonderful dentists and state of the art surgeries at a tenth of the price in Oz.