In Tasmania, a new performance objective set by the Health Department indicates that up to 30% of patients requiring elective surgery may not receive treatment within the clinically recommended timeframe. This change has drawn criticism from the Australian Medical Association (AMA), which argues that the revised target signifies a decline in standards.
The Tasmanian Health Department attributes this adjustment to a surge in demand for elective procedures, limitations in service capacity, and ongoing challenges with bed availability, which are exacerbated by insufficient aged care and NDIS placements for residents.
Currently, approximately 9,500 individuals are on the elective surgery waiting list within the department. The annual service plan lays out key performance indicators (KPIs), and the latest target stipulates that no more than 30% of patients should experience delays beyond their clinically recommended surgical timeframes. This effectively means that the department aims for at least 70% of elective surgery patients to receive timely treatment.
Dr. Meg Creely, president of AMA Tasmania, expressed concern that this benchmark is too lenient. “While no system is without flaws, we should aspire to exceed a situation where one in three patients is left waiting,” she stated.
Dr. Creely also highlighted that the method of measuring KPIs has changed, complicating the situation further. Last year, the target was defined by a fixed number—specifically, a maximum of 270 patients who could exceed the recommended waiting time. This year, the percentage metric represents a dramatic increase from about 1.2% to 30%, a change Dr. Creely described as significant.
The inconsistency in annual service plans has made it challenging for healthcare providers and the public to grasp the true state of the health service, according to Dr. Creely. “The varied figures, often obscured in budget documents or annual service plans, create confusion,” she noted.
A representative from the Tasmanian Health Department confirmed that the updated target reflects the heightened demand for elective surgeries and represents a realistic, evidence-based evaluation of the current healthcare environment, which is affected by ongoing bed availability issues. However, the spokesperson did not address whether the AMA’s assertion regarding the increase from 1.2% to 30% was correct.
Recent data from July indicates that only 59% of elective surgeries were carried out on time, meaning that fewer than six out of ten patients received their procedures within the clinically advised timeframe. This marks a decline from the previous year, when 64% of elective surgeries met the recommended timeline.
Elective surgeries in Tasmania are categorized into three groups: Category 1, which is classified as “urgent” and requires treatment within 30 days; Category 2, or “semi-urgent,” for procedures that should occur within 90 days; and Category 3, which encompasses “non-urgent” surgeries expected to be completed within 365 days. For Category 1 surgeries, 65% were performed within the recommended timeframe in July, indicating that over a third of these patients experienced delays.
The health department aims for 95% of Category 1 surgeries to be completed as per the clinical guidelines under the new plan. The 2026-27 strategy includes a goal of conducting over 21,500 elective surgeries, representing a slight reduction of around 400 surgeries compared to the previous year. The state budget forecasts an 8% increase in health funding over four years, supported by additional federal funds; however, the Tasmanian government has instructed the health department to implement efficiency cuts totaling $702 million over the same period.
With over 9,000 Tasmanians awaiting elective surgery, the government has established a target to ensure that 70% of these procedures occur within the recommended timelines. Dr. Creely warned that the backlog in elective surgeries risks creating a two-tier health system, where those with private health insurance receive timely care while others remain dependent on the public system. “This is not an acceptable situation for patients or for the people of Tasmania,” she asserted.
Additionally, the health department’s new plan outlines an objective to eliminate the elective surgery backlog, setting a target of zero patients waiting for elective procedures by June 30, 2024.
