WA’s health crisis halts elective surgeries for one month at Bunbury Hospital to reduce system pressure

South West residents with elective surgeries scheduled at Bunbury Hospital will be among the hundreds affected by cancellations over the next month in a bid to relieve the State’s struggling health system. The decision to postpone hundreds of category 2 and 3 surgeries at Bunbury and Geraldton hospitals, and public-private facilities in Perth, came into effect yesterday and will see the hospitals unable to take new bookings for the month. All category 1 and urgent category 2 surgeries will continue as normal. Bunbury resident Samantha Jones had an elective intestinal surgery booked for September 15 but received “disappointing” news that the procedure would be pushed back three weeks. Ms Jones said the postponement was “inconvenient” and meant she would have to manage her stomach condition and the anxiety that came with it for longer. “It is a little bit frustrating, mainly on the mental health side of things because it is quiet anxious waiting for surgery,” she said. “I’m disappointed but not devastated because I am in a situation where it’s not life threatening, so I’m happy people in more serious situations can still have their surgery. “It’s a tricky situation with the hospitals regardless of whether we get COVID in the State, so if I have to wait a bit longer to do my bit for the community then that’s OK, I’m just trying to find a silver lining.” A Department of Health statement said the decision was not taken lightly, but it was necessary to deal with an “unprecedented level of demand on the system, together with workforce shortages exacerbated by high levels of staff illness”. “Compounding this is the significant and increasing number of long-stay patients in WA hospitals awaiting discharge to supported community accommodation and disability services, especially in mental health,” it read. “These factors are all contributing to the decline in transfer of care, and resulting in significant growth in ambulance ramping hours and increased workloads for our staff.” Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith backed the dramatic move on Monday, agreeing it would help relieve pressure on emergency departments. However, the doctor slammed the State Government for bringing the health system “to its knees”, insisting that record ambulance ramping was to blame for the decision. Premier Mark McGowan blamed the elective surgery cull on a combination of factors, including doctors and nurses off work battling the respiratory condition metapneumovirus and bed block caused by patients waiting for NDIS support and aged care placements.