Patients across the Dubbo electorate will benefit from the NSW Government’s $408 million commitment to fast-tracking elective surgeries that have been delayed due to COVID-19.
Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said this funding boost would take the NSW Government’s total commitment to reducing waiting times as a result of the pandemic to almost $1 billion, on top of the $2 billion invested in elective surgery each year.
“The NSW Government is committed to increasing elective surgery activity in public hospitals and continuing arrangements with private hospitals, to ensure patients in the Dubbo electorate who are waiting get fast-tracked access to surgical care,” Mr Saunders said.
“This significant investment will make a real difference for patients who have had their elective procedures delayed during the pandemic, ensuring they get faster access to the high quality care available to them in our hospitals.”
Mr Saunders said the NSW Government’s investment will boost staff by 267 FTE and open additional theatre lists at some hospitals on evenings and weekends.
“Pleasingly, this investment will not only deliver fast-tracked surgeries for patients, but provide additional workforce to support our health workers,” Mr Saunders said.
“Despite the challenges of the past few years, we expect elective surgery to be operating at up to 125 per cent of pre-pandemic capacity very soon thanks to our incredible frontline health workers.”
Additional staff will include doctors, nurses and allied health professionals with the NSW Government having also committed to a record workforce boost of more than 10,000 FTE staff across the health system as part of the 2022-23 Budget.