Surgery Waitlists and Ambulance Delays
Victoria's health system is under pressure. Surgery waitlists have surpassed 68,000, with ambulance response times and emergency room delays affecting families across the state.
Surgery waitlists in the state have increased by 8,000 over the past year, with a significant 4,103 jump in the last quarter alone. This marks the largest quarterly rise in the past year.
638 more patients joined critical Category 1 waitlists in the most recent quarter, further straining the system.
Currently, Category 3 patients face waits of almost a year beyond the recommended timeframe. Category 2 patients experience delays of nearly six months past the 90-day target.
Impact on Emergency Services
The number of patients stranded in emergency departments for over 24 hours has increased by more than 70 per cent year-on-year, rising from 1,928 to 3,340.
Only 66.4 per cent of Code 1 ambulance callouts are reaching patients within the targeted 15 minutes, falling short of the 85 per cent goal.
In 2022, the Allan government pledged $5 billion across 26 health initiatives, including a $1.5 billion surgery blitz. However, the Auditor-General later reported that these targets were not met.
Jane Foreman of Family First criticised the government's priorities, stating, "The Allan government has chosen its priorities. Billions for a rail loop. 68,000 Victorians waiting for surgery. Family First will choose families."
Foreman is advocating for independently audited surgical waitlist targets, ambulance funding based on response outcomes, and an end to financial waste in non-essential projects.
She added, "I meet families every week who are doing everything right and still can’t get their mum into surgery or an ambulance in time. That’s not their failure. That’s a failure of government."
Emergency patients are often left waiting for over 24 hours, a situation that has worsened significantly. The Family First policy suggests redirecting funds from large infrastructure projects to frontline health services to address these issues.
Since the Allan government took office, the situation has deteriorated, despite previously committing significant resources to the health sector. The lack of progress in meeting health targets has prompted calls for a reevaluation of current health policies.
