The Minister for Health has announced $388 million in funding for elective surgeries with a focus on patients whose operations were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minister, Brad Hazzard said the funding would allow public patients to be treated in private hospitals while increasing surgery capacity at public hospitals.
“At normal capacity, NSW public hospitals deliver around 235,000 elective surgeries per year,” Mr Hazzard said
“Surgeries across both public and private sectors are on track to perform at 75 per cent by the end of June 2020,” he said.
“NSW Health Local Health Districts will balance the return of elective surgery with the need to maintain hospital capacity for any further potential cases of COVID-19.”
“Surgery lists are being closely monitored and any patient whose condition changes or deteriorates should speak to their treating clinician,” Mr Hazzard said.
He said one of the many sacrifices made by patients due to the pandemic was delays to some categories of elective surgeries.
“We are working as fast as we can to fast track those patients whose surgery has been disrupted,” he said.
The Minister said the NSW Government had committed $800 million in additional funding over two years to the $26.7 billion health budget to boost ICU capacity, purchase additional services and medical equipment, and help respond to COVID-19 across NSW.
