HOSPITAL SERVICES REPORT : ACCESS TO ELECTIVE SURGERY - JUN97

How many patients are booked for elective surgery?

Booked patients at waiting list hospitals ¹

	at 1 Apr 1996	at 1 Jan 1997	at 1 Apr 1997	Change (%) Jan to Apr 1997
Booked patients	10720	9142	11892	30.1

In Victoria, the waiting list is used to co-ordinate patients who have been recommended for elective surgery but who cannot be booked in for admission to hospital because the demand for elective surgery at that hospital exceeds the resources available at that time. Patients are considered to be booked when they have been given a planned date within six weeks to be admitted to hospital for their elective surgery. Booked patients are not included in the waiting list statistics.

Note: Patients may be booked immediately at the time that they are referred for elective surgery or they may be booked after having waited on the waiting list. The ability of a hospital to offer bookings depends on a number of factors including:

(i) the urgency of the patient as determined by the treating surgeon,

(ii) the suitability (fitness) of the patient to undergo surgery,

(iii) availability of resources, including appropriately skilled surgical staff, operating theatre facilities, recovery room facilities, and general ward accommodation.

¹ Patients may be booked for elective surgery at any public hospital with surgical facilities. The data shown are for the designated waiting list hospitals only.

Source: Hospital waiting list returns.