By CHARLENE MACAULAY
WESTERN Health will share in a $15 million State Government grant to boost elective surgeries across its three hospitals.
Western Health, which manages the Sunshine, Williamstown and Western Hospitals, has received a $275,000 grant to perform an additional 120 nose and throat operations, which will predominantly be undertaken at Sunshine Hospital and cut waiting list times for children.
Western Health also received a $338,000 grant in partnership with Djerriwarrh Health Services, which will provide 100 patients on the Western Health elective surgery waiting list with the opportunity to have their surgery at an earlier time at Bacchus Marsh Hospital.
The types of surgery to be performed in partnership with Djerriwarrh Health Service include orthopaedic, general, gynaecology and ear, nose and throat surgery.
Figures from the Victorian Health Services Performance Report reveal that Western Hospital’s elective surgery list has almost doubled in the past year, with more than 2000 patients waiting for a variety of operations.
At Sunshine Hospital, the elective surgery waiting list has jumped from 1425 in the June 2012 quarter to 2130 in the June 2013 quarter, while the list dropped by more than 200 patients at Williamstown Hospital over the past year, with 402 patients waiting for elective surgery.
“Western Health is extremely pleased to have received two additional funding packages for elective surgery to treat patients between January and June 2014,” Western Health Acting Executive Director of Operations Claire Culley said.
“Western Health continues to experience increased demand for elective surgery due to the rapid growth in the number of people living in its catchment area.
“The additional funding streams provide an opportunity for a greater number of patients to be treated across the health service.”
