WA health boss says surge in over a thousand triple-zero calls forced postponement of elective surgeries

ABC NEWS (Australia)

WA's health boss says a surge of more than a thousand triple-zero calls for ambulances on Monday night, mainly for elderly patients, forced authorities to postpone dozens of elective surgeries. Dr Shirley Bowen says complex cases along with winter illness placed increased pressure on emergency departments. She says surgeries will be carefully scaled up today, although the government refused to rule out further cancellations in coming days.

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00:00Christine Mulhall spent all day getting ready for her complex throat tumour surgery at Fiona

00:08Stanley Hospital, only to be told it had been rescheduled. I'd mentally and physically prepared

00:16myself to have this surgery. It is in the deep lobe of my parotid gland and the surgeons have

00:22said it's as complex as it gets. I felt really upset, heartbroken, then I felt a little bit

00:28angry and a little bit like you know confused. Ms Mulhall just one of the many patients impacted

00:34by the decision to postpone around 80 category two and three surgeries in Perth public hospitals on

00:41Wednesday to make room for an unprecedented surge in ED arrivals. Because of that we've had to pivot

00:48to reduce demand and ensure that everyone who needs to be seen is seen in a timely manner.

00:54I do want to acknowledge those people who have been impacted by having their surgeries rescheduled.

01:01I know it is inconvenient and I want to thank those people for their patients.

01:06Dr Bowen says there were more than 1,000 triple zero ambulance calls on Monday night with the vast

01:13majority of those ramped patients aged over 70. She says that and winter illness fuelled the spike.

01:21We have known the flu season is predictable. We know people are getting older. Where has been the

01:28resourcing of our hospital system to better support our patients? Peak health groups calling for a more

01:35holistic approach. I would really like it if we could see how we can design health and health care

01:41around the needs of the community so that people can access care if they need it before it becomes

01:47to the acute point where they're calling an ambulance on a Monday night. We support the decision.

01:52Doesn't make it any less alarming. Doesn't have us any less concerned that this is a cycle that may

01:57continue to repeat itself. During question time the health minister would not rule out further

02:03surgeries being rescheduled in coming days and said hospitals would be monitored to ensure acute patients

02:10patients are prioritized.

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