Federal election: AMA warns ‘avoidable deaths an unacceptable reality’ unless hospital funding increases

The AMA has warned of “avoidable deaths” unless extra funds go to struggling Australian hospitals. See where they are.

Thirty-four of the nation’s most overstretched public hospitals service people in key marginal electorates and the major parties are refusing to provide them with extra funding at their peril.

Crippled by pain, facing unacceptable waits in emergency departments and 12-month delays for elective surgery, disgruntled patients are demanding more federal hospital funding.

The pressure on some of these hospitals is so dire fewer than half the ED patients who need treatment within 10 minutes are getting it in that time frame.

In others, almost seven in 10 patients waiting for urgent elective surgery are not treated within clinically recommended times.

Patients are waiting more than 750 days to have cataracts removed and 652 days for hip and knee replacements as public hospitals buckle under the Covid-19 surgery backlog.

The situation is expected to get even worse with the federal government’s commitment to fund 50 per cent of Covid-related health costs scheduled to end in September costing the states billions.

Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorshid wants the federal government to lift its share of public hospital funding. Picture: Supplied

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) wants the federal government to lift its share of public hospital funding from 45 to 50 per cent to solve the crisis.

This week Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews and other state leaders said they will also demand a 50-50 funding split for hospitals, and call for an extra $5bn a year from Canberra.

AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said its hospital logjam finder “paints a truly terrifying picture”.

“Our logjam finder shows that of the 204 Australian hospitals we analysed, over 50 have five or more red lights against the eight ED and essential surgery indicators,” Dr Khorshid said.

“Ramping is rife, and avoidable deaths are now an unacceptable reality.

“There are over 175 hospitals around the country that are showing one or more red indicators.

“Yet despite this national emergency, we are yet to see either party showing any leadership on hospitals.

“There’s a high chance the hospital in your electorate is struggling – this election you need to make your voice heard and ask the candidates of the major parties exactly how they will fix this hospital logjam before it’s too late.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to budge on demands for extra federal funding for public hospitals this week.

“Well, the public hospitals it (the buck) stops with the state governments,” he told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese this week said he would negotiate with state premiers on their call for extra funding for public hospitals but stopped short of promising the money.

Patients are waiting more than 750 days to have cataracts removed and 652 days for hip and knee replacements as public hospitals buckle under the Covid-19 surgery backlog.

Kylie Woolcock, acting CEO of the Australian Health and Hospitals Association, said getting more staff for hospitals was key and the latest estimates were that we need 301,000 more in the health aged care workforce in the next five years.

More money needed to be spent on primary care to keep people out of hospitals and more innovative virtual and digital healthcare delivery was needed, she said.

Numbers from an internal survey of Australian private hospitals suggest the current workforce shortage in that sector alone is around 5500 nurses.

The NSW Nursing and Midwifery Association wants funding to introduce a ratio of one nurse to every three ED treatment spaces to improve patient care as a survey shows NSW patients’ rating of their overall care in December 2020 to June 2021 fell below 2019-20 levels.

NEW SOUTH WALES

NEPEAN HOSPITAL

In the marginal seat of Lindsay held by the Liberal Party by just 5 per cent is one of the state’s worst performing hospitals. Just 49 per cent of ED patients who need treatment within ten minutes get it in that time frame. Fewer than half those who need urgent ED care (within 30 minutes) get it on time and a third of its elective surgery patients are not treated on time. Patients are waiting more than 338 days for a hip replacement and more than 356 days for a knee replacement.

WESTMEAD HOSPITAL

In the marginal electorate of Parramatta held by the ALP by a margin of 3.5 per cent four in ten urgent cases are not seen within the recommended 30 minutes in ED, and 29 per cent of emergency cases don’t get help within 10 minutes. Wait times for non-urgent elective surgery at Westmead Hospital have blown out by 41 per cent to a median of 319 days. Patients are waiting more than 130 days for a hip replacement and more than 373 days for a knee replacement.

GOSFORD HOSPITAL

In the marginal electorate of Robertson held by the Liberal party by 4.2 per cent nearly half (46 per cent) of urgent emergency department patients are not seen within 30 minutes and one in six emergency patients are not seen within the recommended ten minutes. Half the patients waiting for non-urgent elective surgery at Gosford Hospital face a wait of over a year -376 days. Hip replacement wait times are 305 days and a knee replacement waits are over 393 days.

WYONG HOSPITAL:

In the marginal electorate of Dobell held by the ALP by just 1.5 per cent one in four ED patients who should be seen within ten minutes don’t get care in that time and only 59 per cent of those who need help within 30 minutes get it. Wait times for a hip replacement have more than doubled to 344 days and those who need a knee replacement are waiting over 361 days.

VICTORIA

FRANKSTON HOSPITAL

In the marginal electorate of Dunkley held by the ALP by a margin of 2.7 per cent one in four people who need care within ten minutes of arriving in ED don’t get it and one in three patients requiring care within 30 minutes of arriving in ED don’t get it on time. Hip replacement wait times have blown out 30 per cent to 235 days and half those who need a knee replacement wait 358 days up from 170 days before Covid.

ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL

In the safe the safe Greens seat of Melbourne but it sits next to the marginal seat of Higgins held by the Liberal Party by a margin of 2.6 per cent. At this hospital just 54 per cent of ED patients who require attention within 10 minutes receive it on time and one in four people who need care within 30 minutes are not treated on time. Only half those who require elective surgery within 90 days receive it on time and a third of those who need non-urgent elective surgery are waiting over 12 months. Wait time for a hip replacement is 86 days and for a knee replacement 200 days.

QUEENSLAND

CAIRNS HOSPITAL

In the marginal electorate of Leichhardt held by the Liberal National Party by 4.2 per cent one in four emergency patients are not treated within the recommended ten minutes in ED and one on four urgent patients are not seen within 30 minutes. Half those waiting for a knee replacement have it delayed for over a year -378 days- and the wait for a hip replacement has surged 42 per cent to 127 days.

REDCLIFFE HOSPITAL

In the safe Liberal National Party seat of Petrie but it services voters in the marginal seats of Longman and Lilley. Fewer than half (47 per cent) of urgent emergency department patients are seen within the recommended 30 minutes at this hospital and one in five emergency patients are not treated within the recommended ten minutes. Half the patients who need a knee replacement wait over a year (369 days) at this hospital and the wait for a hip replacement is over 105 days.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

FLINDERS MEDICAL CENTRE

In the marginal electorate of Boothby held by the Liberal party with 1.4 per cent of the vote nearly two in three urgent ED patients are not seen within the recommended 30 minutes and half those who need care within 10 minutes don’t get it in that time. Half the patients waiting for a hip replacement have it delayed by over a year -436 days and knee replacement waits are over 498 days.

ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL

In the safe ALP seat Adelaide but services patients in the nearby marginal seat of Boothby. Only half the ED patients who need help immediately receive it and a shocking 58 per cent who need help within 30 minutes aren’t treated on time. Elective surgery rates at the hospital are among the lowest in the country with just 33 per cent of people who need surgery within 90 days receiving it on time and two thirds of patients who need non-urgent surgery are waiting over a year.

TASMANIA

LAUNCESTON GENERAL HOSPITAL

In the marginal electorate of Bass held by the Liberal Party by a wafer-thin 0.4 per cent margin one in three ED patients who need care within ten minutes don’t receive it and two in three who need care within 30 minutes don’t get it. Half those who need a knee replacement are waiting over 622 days for the procedure. Waits times for a hip replacement are over a year-498 days and for all non-urgent surgery half the patients wait over 557 days.

NORTH WEST REGIONAL HOSPITAL

In the marginal seat of Braddon held by the Liberal Party with 3.1 per cent of the vote, one in four patients who need care within 10 minutes of arriving at ED don’t receive it on time and only one in three who need urgent ED help receive it within the recommended 30 minutes. Half those who need a hip replacement wait over 329 days, those who need a knee replacement are waiting over 441 days. Wait times for non-urgent surgery are over 526 days.

MERSEY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

In the marginal electorate of Braddon held by the Liberal Party by 3.1 per cent more than one in five patients who need ED care within ten minutes don’t receive it on time and one in four who need care within 30 minutes wait longer than that. Half those who need non-urgent elective surgery wait over a year – 510 days.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Royal Darwin Hospital

In the marginal seat of Solomon held by the ALP by 3.1 per cent nearly half -43 per cent of patients who need ED help within ten minutes get it and just four in ten patients who need ED care within 30 minutes are helped in that time frame. Wait times for non-urgent elective surgery are 335 days.