Hospital waiting list figures down: Minister

8/5/01
Latest figures reveal the hospital waiting list figure has fallen, Health Minister Bob Kucera said today.
The number of people waiting for surgery at Perth's public hospitals fell more than 330 in April and stood at 10,232 for teaching hospitals and 5,431 for non-teaching hospitals.
Mr Kucera said he had directed the Central Wait List Bureau to focus not only on reducing waiting times for surgery in general but also on reducing the time people waited for an initial consultation with a specialist.
"The Central Wait List Bureau will send letters to all people waiting for an outpatient appointment and may be able to offer them the opportunity to have their appointment at a hospital with a shorter waiting time, such as a community or non-teaching hospital," he said.
Mr Kucera said the bureau gave those on public hospital waiting lists the opportunity to have operations performed sooner by arranging for them to be performed at hospitals with shorter waiting times.
"Many people are unaware that non-teaching hospitals have shorter waiting lists than large teaching hospitals," he said.
"Nearly 10 per cent of those waiting long-term for surgery at a teaching hospital could have their surgery performed within weeks at a non-teaching hospital.
"A further seven per cent of those on the wait list no longer require surgery and have not told their hospital or doctor, which affects waiting times for others."
Those requiring more information can contact the CWLB toll free helpline on 1800 654 807 or visit its web site: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/cwlb
Media contact: Fran Hodge (08) 9213 7000