By Charlene Gatt
MORE than 400 patients on the elective surgery waiting list at Western Health have died in the past nine years.
Freedom of Information documents obtained by the Coalition reveal that from 2001-2002 to 2009-10, 401 people on the Western Health elective surgery waiting list have died.
A total 6381 patients across Victoria have died during that period while on hospital waiting lists.
But Western Health Acting Chief Executive Mark Garwood said there was nothing to suggest the procedure for which the patients were listed contributed to their death.
“Western Health undertakes scheduling of elective surgery to ensure patients are treated equitably within clinically-appropriate timeframes and with priority given to patients with an urgent clinical need,” he said.
“The reduction of our elective surgery waiting list is a priority for Western Health and we have already made significant in-roads.
During the 2009-10 financial year more than 25,000 patients had surgery at the Western, Sunshine and Williamstown Hospitals.
“(This) translated to reduction in our elective surgery waiting list despite substantial growth in demand for our services,” Mr Garwood said.
“This was made possible by investments such as a sixth theatre at Sunshine Hospital and efficiency gains such as the redesign of our pre-admission service.”
