AMA’s public hospital report card predicts dire outlook for health outcomes post-COVID

Inadequate funding, blowouts in elective surgery waiting lists and overstretched emergency departments are among a range of issues highlighted in a new report on the country’s public hospitals.

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TASMANIANS on the waiting list for elective surgery are facing the second-worst wait times in almost 20 years amid a pattern of “inadequate” funding for the state’s public hospitals, a new report has revealed.

The Australian Medical Association’s public hospital report card, released on Thursday, also found per-capita funding for the facilities had stagnated, staff were under increasing pressure and emergency department wait times were blowing out.

The AMA also said the performance of public hospitals were deteriorating even before the COVID-19 pandemic, painting a gloomy picture for future health outcomes.

The report found the median waiting time for elective surgery in Tasmania was 57 days in 2018-19 and was only worse in 2015-16 when the median was 72 days, with both figures inferior when compared with other Australian states and territories.

It comes after new figures last week revealed there were 11,342 patients waiting for elective surgery at the end of June and the most urgent of patients (category 1) who were overdue were waiting four times longer for procedures than clinically recommended.

Meanwhile, the per person average combined annual growth in public hospital funding from state and federal governments has fallen from 2.98 per cent between 2007-08 and 2012-13, to 2.2 per cent from 2012-13 to 2017-18.

AMA Tasmanian president Helen McArdle said the impacts of the pandemic — including the temporary pausing of most elective surgeries — had exacerbated an already significant issue.

“COVID has made it worse, but we had problems before,’’ she said.

AMA Tasmania president Helen McArdle.

Dr McArdle said there was significant concern about the future investment in the state’s health sector, given the government’s compromised budget position due to COVID-19.

“I don’t think there will be any cuts possible in health,’’ she said.

“We anticipate that we need more investment in health, but when COVID has been so costly, that means governments are looking to make any savings they can.”

Dr McArdle said the state’s hospital system had been under growing pressure and was coping with an ageing population, more chronic disease and tightening budgets.

She said due to COVID-related restrictions, emergency departments had some respite but now with more normality, issues of ramping and overcrowding had reared their head again, particularly at the Launceston General Hospital and Royal Hobart Hospital.

She said as a result, the health workforce suffered high levels of “frustration and irritation” because there was simply not enough hospital beds to cater for the population.

AMA national president Omar Khorshid said the report card showed public hospital treatment in many jurisdictions was deteriorating and wait times were getting worse.

“Australia has one of the best-performing health systems in the world, and the care provided by our public hospitals is something we can all be proud of,” he said.

“However, our hardworking and dedicated public hospital staff are coming under increasing pressure, and funding levels are inadequate.”

A state government spokesman said the government had been investing to meet the challenges of increasing demand on the state’s hospitals.

“There are now around 1500 FTE more staff in our hospitals than there was in 2014, including more than 750 nurses and 230 more doctors, an additional $600 million earlier this year to meet these demands on our hospitals,’’ he said.

“We will continue to work closely with our staff and key stakeholders, like the AMA, to build a better health system.”

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