Coronavirus: Queensland pledges $250m to clear elective surgery backlog

Queensland has a backlog of 7000 extra people waiting for elective surgeries as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lindsay Holmes after eye surgery at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital on Sunday. Picture: David Clark

Queensland has a backlog of 7000 extra people waiting for elective surgeries as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing the government to spend $250m to clear the waiting list by operating at night, on weekends, and in private hospitals.

Health Minister Steven Miles said the federal ban on non-urgent surgeries had led to the bottleneck, but Mr Miles said the move was necessary in March to ensure ­hospitals were ready to deal with a forecast explosion in COVID-10 cases, and a lack of personal protective equipment for staff.

He said at the end of last financial year just over 100 people were waiting longer than clinically recommended periods for elective surgery in Queensland.

By the end of next month that number is expected to have blown out to 7000.

The government will spend $250m on 6000 surgeries, 25,000 specialist appointments, and a further 15,000 operations expected to stem from those appointments, to clear the backlog.

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital director of surgery Barry O’Loughlin said there were an extra 600 people waiting for ­elective surgery just at that one major hospital, including people waiting for cataract removal, joint replacements, painful hernias, troublesome tonsils, and sinus problems.

In total, the state’s elective surgery waiting list stands at about 52,000 patients, with more than 90 per cent of those waiting within clinically recommended time­frames.

But by the end of next month, 7000 people will be waiting too long.

Patient Lindsay Holmes had been waiting for 12 months for cataract surgery when the pandemic broke out and elective surgery was cancelled.

Mrs Holmes finally had her cataract replaced on Saturday, after being forced to wait an extra two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She said she was pleased with her care at the RBWH and was looking forward to seeing her husband again properly, to see if he still looked the same.

Queensland recorded zero new cases of coronavirus overnight, after conducting more than 3700 tests.

The state’s total remains at 1065, with five active cases.

One person remains in hospital in intensive care and requiring ventilation.