Elective waiting times up as public hospitals put profit first

Thursday, 23 May 2019

Elective waiting times up as public hospitals put profit first
Elective surgery waiting times in public hospitals are blowing out as they prioritise chasing revenue over
caring for public patients, the latest data measuring hospital activity shows.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report Admitted patient care 2017–18: Australian hospital
statistics shows public patients are waiting twice as long overall for elective surgery – a median of 44 days
for public patients and 22 for the privately insured.

Australian Private Hospitals Association CEO Mr Michael Roff said public patients are left to languish on
waiting lists – managing pain and experiencing reduced quality of life – while public hospitals push patients
with private health insurance ahead of them in elective surgery queues.

"This goes against the principles of Medicare – that treatment in public hospitals is based on clinical need,
not ability to pay. But, it's also fundamentally unfair. Public and privately insured patients should be treated
exactly the same in the public system, these numbers tell us they are not.

"Public patients requiring head and neck surgery have a median wait time 60 days longer than privately
insured patients for their surgery in public hospitals. While those requiring orthopaedic surgery have a
median wait time of 52 days longer than patients public hospitals can squeeze revenue from.

"The consequence of waiting for these surgeries might be limiting someone's ability to work, to care for
their families, to get out of bed in the morning.

"If more of those privately insured patients were treated in the private hospital sector the dual benefit to
public patients would be reduced waiting times and a less stressed public health system. Furthermore,
privately insured people should be given the opportunity to be treated in private hospitals, rather than being
trapped in the public system.

"However, public hospitals only see the dollar signs when a privately insured patient enters their hospital
and have been actively 'harvesting' these patients through their emergency departments for years.

"The immoral practices of public hospitals chasing private patient revenue while ignoring the needs of
public patients must be outlawed in the next hospital funding agreement, which will be a top priority for the
incoming Federal Health Minister," Mr Roff said.

-ENDSMedia contact: Frith Rayner, Director Communications and Marketing, 0413 971 999
The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) is the peak industry body representing the private hospital and day surgery
sector. The private hospital sector treats 3.69 million patients a year, including treatment of more than a third of chemotherapy, 60
percent of all surgery, 74 percent of all elective musculoskeletal surgery and 79 percent of rehabilitation.

Level 3 /11 National Circ, Barton ACT 2600. PO Box 4502, Kingston ACT 2604. [T] 02 6273 9000 [F] 02 6273 7000
[E] [W] www.apha.org.au [FB] ValuingPrivateHospitals [Twitter] @priv8hospitals
ABN 82 008 623 809

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