Elective surgery procedures at Perth's teaching hospitals at highest level in 17 months [Audio]

"We are making very good progress with the Government's commitment to reducing waiting lists and so far we are more than three quarters of the way through the number of cataract operations and more than half way through the hip and knee surgery and that is very good news"
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"the number of people who have been on the waiting lists have dropped from 17,000 to just a little over 14,000 as a direct result of increases in activity by the hospitals and that is good news for people who have been waiting"
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20/4/99
Health Minister John Day said elective surgery procedures at Perth's teaching hospitals were at their highest level in 17 months.
Mr Day said in March 2,573 patients were admitted to the teaching hospitals - an increase of 871 from the previous month and 1,137 more than in January.
The previous highest number of admissions was in October 1997 with 2,586 while the lowest was in April last year during the nurses dispute with only 997.
Mr Day said waiting lists at the teaching hospitals were at their lowest level in 15 months with 14,152 people waiting for elective surgery.
In June last year the waiting list figures had climbed to 16,998 during the nurses dispute, but since then there had been a steady decline.
The latest figures for March represent a drop of 432 cases from the previous month and a decrease of 1091 over the last two months.
Mr Day said the State Government's program to treat those people who were waiting for a hip or knee replacement or a cataract removal within a 12-month period was progressing on schedule.
"In relation to cataracts, we are running well ahead of schedule, having so far completed 72 per cent of the 2,059 people who were on the waiting list last August," Mr Day said.
"The latest figures indicate that nearly 54 per cent of the 1,211 hip and knee replacement operations have been performed and the remainder will be completed by September 30."
Mr Day said the State Government's Central Wait List Bureau was doing a tremendous job in assisting people to have their operation earlier by arranging for surgery to be performed at an alternative hospital.
He said the bureau had recently embarked on a major education campaign to encourage people waiting for surgery, or their relatives, to contact the bureau or discuss their options with their local GPs.
"Within the next nine months an estimated 3,500 people could have surgery sooner than they expected," the Minister said.
"The bureau has introduced a toll-free helpline 1800 654 807 and also a web site to enable both patients and the medical profession to determine the most suitable alternative.
"This is the first stage of a concerted effort to give Western Australians the opportunity to have greater control over their health needs."
Media contact: Mark Thompson on 9213 600