Victoria's Public Hospitals Fail Performance Targets

The Australian Medical Association's annual Public Hospital Report Card shows Victoria's public hospitals failed all performance targets set under the National Health Reform Agreement.

 Victorian public hospitals failed to:

•  Improve in Emergency Departments waiting times for urgent (category 3) patients.


• Meet the National Emergency Access Target (the 4 hour rule).


• Improve in Elective Surgery waiting times.


• Meet the National Elective Surgery Target (patients seen within clinically recommended time).

"The Victorian state government must provide adequate resources to treat the Victorian population, and also make adequate plans to ensure timely treatment in the years to come", AMA Victoria President, Dr Stephen Parnis, said.
"More public hospital beds are needed. We need the physical beds, the supporting people (doctors, nurses and allied health workers) and the infrastructure (operating theatres, delivery suites and e-health) to deliver efficient and quality healthcare", Dr Parnis said.  "Both state and federal governments must properly invest in the health system. There can be no shortcuts when it comes to public hospital funding. More resources are needed, or outcomes will continue to deteriorate", Dr Parnis said.
"Victoria is the only state that failed all four measurements and received a reduction in Commonwealth funding. There is responsibility at both state and federal levels of government to appropriately fund the health system, and Victoria is failing", Dr Parnis
Key findings in the Victorian report showed

• Emergency Department median waiting times: percentage of triage category 3 (urgent) patients seen with 30 minutes
  
  
  
  • Between 2002-03 and 2012-13 Victoria's performance dropped from over 80 per cent to under 75 per cent = FAILURE TO IMPROVE
    
  
  
  
  

• National Emergency Access Targets: percentage of emergency department presentations completes in four hours or less
  
  
  
  • National target for 2012-13 was 70 per cent, Victoria met this target 65 per cent of the time = FAILURE TO IMPROVE
    
  
  
  
  

• Elective Surgery median waiting time
  
  
  
  • Victoria's median waiting time for elective surgery increased from 28 days in 2001-2002 to 36 days in 2012-13 = FAILURE TO IMPROVE
    
  
  
  
  

• National Elective Surgery Target: percentage of patients seen within clinically recommended time

• National target for 2012-13 was 75 per cent, Victoria met this target 70 per cent of the time = FAILURE TO IMPROVE