Elective surgeries at John Hunter Hospital have decreased by 28 percent over the past decade, coinciding with a population increase of approximately 14 percent in the region. In 2015, the hospital completed 8,994 elective procedures, while in 2024, the number fell to 6,508. This decline has raised significant concerns among health professionals regarding the impact on patient care.
Grahame Smith, deputy chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons‘ NSW State Committee, expressed his worries about the growing waiting times for planned surgeries. He stated, “We’re concerned with the increasing waiting times for patients for planned surgery.” Dr. Smith, who specializes in urology, emphasized that the public hospital system’s capacity has not kept pace with the rising population.
Recent reports from the Newcastle Herald highlighted long waitlists for surgeries at John Hunter Hospital. Current figures indicate that the waitlists include 918 for orthopaedic surgeries, 418 for general surgeries, 276 for gynaecology, 232 for ear, nose, and throat procedures, 178 for neurosurgery, and 96 for urology.
Kathryn Austin, president of the Australian Medical Association in NSW, attributed the lengthy waitlists to a combination of insufficient staffing, outdated funding models, and inadequate planning. Although there are plans to expand John Hunter Hospital’s operating theatres by nearly 50 percent, Dr. Austin pointed out that many theatres remain unused due to a lack of personnel to operate them.
“The major hospitals are overwhelmed with emergency cases, which impacts the capacity to provide non-urgent surgeries,” she said. Dr. Austin also underscored that the health budget in NSW does not meet the growing demands of the healthcare system. She stated, “NSW and the Commonwealth need to finalize their health reform agreement to ensure appropriate funding of our public hospital system.” The ongoing wait times for non-urgent procedures are “unacceptable,” with patients often waiting nearly a year for surgeries that significantly affect their quality of life.
Dr. Smith believes that there are sufficient surgeons available to address the backlog. “About 80 percent of surgeons in NSW have a public hospital appointment,” he noted. He added that many of these surgeons could perform additional surgeries if adequately funded. Furthermore, he mentioned that around 5 percent of NSW surgeons do not hold public hospital appointments but are eager to work within the public system.
He emphasized the need for careful planning to increase surgical capacity. “Surgeons need to be informed that they are required for an extra eight hours a week over the next couple of years,” Dr. Smith explained. He criticized the NSW Ministry of Health for its sporadic attempts to boost surgical numbers, particularly in the lead-up to elections.
In response to the growing concerns, Ryan Park, the NSW Health Minister, reaffirmed the Minns government’s commitment to ensuring timely access to surgery for all patients. “We have invested over $200 million over the past year to further reduce the number of patients waiting for planned surgeries longer than clinically recommended,” Mr. Park stated.
According to the Newcastle Herald, more than 8,270 elective surgeries were performed in the Hunter New England region from April to June 2024, representing a 19 percent increase compared to the same quarter the previous year. Despite these improvements, Mr. Park acknowledged that much work remains to be done.
Dr. Smith reiterated that the long waitlists arise from insufficient planned operating time within the public system. “To increase the hours of operating time, you need a whole team, including nurses, anaesthetists, and surgeons,” he said. He suggested that evening or weekend surgeries could be implemented to alleviate the backlog.
The federal Department of Health is currently conducting supply and demand modeling for the surgical workforce, with results expected by the end of 2025. As the situation continues to evolve, health officials and administrators face the pressing challenge of enhancing surgical capacity to meet the growing needs of the population.
