Understanding the public hospital

Elective Surgery Waitlist

During conversations with our patients and members of the public, it is apparent there is some misinformation out there about the public hospital waitlist.

So, we have pulled together a short summary that we feel will assist both patients and medical practitioners.

SHORT SUMMARY

In a public hospital, they use the term elective surgery for non-emergency surgery which is considered medically necessary, but can be delayed for at least 24 hour. People who need emergency treatment will be NOT be placed on the elective surgery list.

Once you have been assessed by a medical specialist, you are required to complete the necessary hospital paperwork to be placed on the public hospital elective surgery waiting list.

You are then scheduled in order of registration and clinical urgency.

The assigned public hospital and its theatre team manages the waitlist, and whilst the medical specialist can suggest an appropriate date within your allocated time frame the date is actually allocated by the hospital.

PUBLIC HOSPITAL WAITLIST CATEGORIES

Category 1 URGENT 

• Admission within 30 days 
• Has the potential to deteriorate quickly to the point where it may become an emergency.

Category 2 SEMI-URGENT 

• Admission within 90 days
• Causes pain, dysfunction or disability
• Unlikely to deteriorate quickly
• Unlikely to become an emergency

Category 3 NON URGENT 

• Admission within 365 days
• Causes pain, dysfunction or disability
• Unlikely to deteriorate quickly

• Does not have the potential to become an emergency

COMMON QUESTION WE ARE REGULARLY ASKED:

Q. My GP says I need a procedure, so why do I need to see the Specialist for an appointment?

It is important you are referred to an appropriately qualified specialist who has experience and training in a certain type of surgery to perform the procedure that is required. The specialist will assess and determine if a procedure is required, discuss your options, obtain consent and then you will be categorised depending on your clinical need.

Q. Can I get my surgery earlier I have private health insurance?

No, in a public hospital, patients with the most urgent medical need will be scheduled for surgery first. Having private health insurance does not have any impact on your waitlist category allocation.

Q. I can’t have my procedure on the day allocated. What happens now?

If you have been assessed as a Category 1, you will need to go back to your specialist to be re assessed and complete new waitlist forms.

If you have been assessed as a Category 2 or 3, the hospital will liaise with you to allocate another date.

It is WA Health policy that if you are offered a date for your operation and you decline on two different occasions, you will be removed from the waiting list, except in extenuating circumstances. You would then need to return to the specialist and complete the waitlist process again from the beginning.

Q. I have heard there is a 2-3 year wait for my procedure in a public hospital. Is this true?

A patient who has been waiting more than the recommended period in one of the three clinical urgency categories is defined as being over boundary.
Information found on the Government of WA Department of Health website indicates that at the end of December 2018 only 0.1% of Category 3 patients were over boundary for the Albany Regional Hospital, 1.7% for the Katanning Hospital and 0% for Esperance Hospital and so therefore patients would generally not wait any longer than 12 months for a procedure.

RESOURCES:
The Department of Health website is a great go to for information on elective surgery and we would recommend you read this to ensure you are clear of your responsibilities.
https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Elective-surgery

Want to know the most up to date stats on Elective Surgery waitlist on our public hospitals?
You can get all the up to date information here
https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Reports-and-publications/Elective-Surgery-Wait-List-ESWL-reports