State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said while the statewide elective surgery waitlist had dropped in the last quarter of 2022, at GV Health the waitlist had increased by 166.
“During just 12 months the waitlist at GV Health has grown by 244,” she said.
“Every single one of these people has a story to tell and is in desperate need of surgery to improve their quality of life.”
GV Health executive director clinical operations Donna Sherringham said the health service had a staff vacancy rate of 16 per cent, with workforce shortages heightened by the pandemic.
“GV Health needs 450 staff to fill a range of positions, many of which contribute to the delivery of elective surgery,” she said.
“During the ongoing waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, GV Health has been required to prioritise care and treatment for people needing emergency admission to the health service, which has delayed elective surgery.
“Extensive flooding in Shepparton and Mooroopna in October and November 2022 exacerbated this already challenging situation.”
Ms Sherringham said GV Health was working hard to increase elective surgery at the hospital and in partnership with other hospitals in the region.
Local health services are being forced to play catch-up, Ms Cleeland said, after the impacts of deferred care were worsened by the pandemic.
“More than 82,000 Victorians are still waiting for surgery according to the latest figures, yet the Australian Medical Association estimates the real number could be as high as 130,000,” Ms Cleeland said.
“There’s a serious chance the true level of demand for surgery across the Goulburn Valley and north-east Victoria hasn’t been fully captured in this data.”
Ms Cleeland said a year ago, less than two per cent of patients were waiting more than a year for treatment, while now it was more than 10 per cent.
“One in four people aren’t getting their treatment on time. It’s clear the system isn’t working, and it is particularly acute across our region,” she said.
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