Peter Goers waited 18 months for cataract surgery only for it to be cancelled on the day

Slowly going blind in one eye, Peter Goers waited patiently for 18 months for cataract surgery in our public health system. When the day arrived, the surgery was cancelled.

Sunday Mail columnist Peter Goers waited patiently for 18 months for cataract surgery only to be told when he was ready for it on Thursday it was cancelled.

“I’m almost blind in my right eye, it is a complete fog, and after 18 months waiting I was telephoned on the day and told it could not be done for another three weeks – I was in despair,” he said.

“I am acutely conscious there are many people in much worse situations than me and it would be far worse for country people who have travelled to Adelaide for such surgery only to be told on the actual day it was cancelled and to come back in several weeks.

Sunday Mail columnist and entertainer Peter Goers had his cataract surgery cancelled on the day it was scheduled on Thursday. Picture: Dean Martin

“I had cleared my schedule for three days for recovery, and was looking forward to finally getting my sight back – again, what about people from the country who have cleared their diaries and had the expense of travelling to Adelaide to be told sorry, it’s cancelled?

“I trusted the public health system, we certainly should be able to depend on the public health system, but I have been badly let down.”

Mr Goers, a leading arts figure and former ABC radio host, said his commitments for the rescheduled time, including rehearsals for a new play, cannot be delayed so he will have to juggle post-operative recovery with his own schedule.

The cancellation was blamed on a surgeon’s illness but Mr Goers said a backup should have been available.

He took to social media to blast “our inept public health system which we can no longer trust to honour the patient”.

Appalled and disappointed. I have almost no sight in my right eye and have patiently waited 18 months for the excision of a cataract. I was booked for the op today and it was cancelled by our inept public heath system which we can no longer trust to honour the patient patient.

— Peter Goers (@busbygoers) August 1, 2024

The cancellation was one of 65 elective surgeries postponed on Thursday – 11 in ophthalmology – as SA Health’s code yellow internal emergency drags on past two months but is now due to end of August 16.

It was declared on May 30 to ease pressure on emergency departments and ambulance ramping by cancelling some elective surgery to free up ward beds.

There are now 21,849 people listed as ready for elective surgery and 4447 cases overdue, including 4696 listed as ready for ophthalmology procedures and 400 overdue.

More than 820 elective surgeries have been cancelled due to the code yellow but Mr Goers’ is not listed as of them as it was due to a surgeon’s illness.

Central Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Dr Emma McCahon.

Opposition leader David Speirs. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Central Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Dr Emma McCahon said occasionally, due to unforeseen circumstances, non-urgent elective surgery may need to be postponed.

“We have offered Mr Goers a rescheduled surgery date and will work with him to ensure it is convenient. We thank him for his patience,” she said.

Opposition Leader David Speirs said Mr Goers had every right to feel appalled and disappointed.

“I am also appalled and disappointed that our hospitals have been in a code yellow internal emergency for more than two months – with no end in sight – when Peter Malinauskas promised South Australians he was going to ‘fix’ our health system,” he said.