PATIENTS could face longer waits for elective surgeries and beds at Werribee Mercy Hospital as management looks for ways to deal with funding cuts.
Mercy Public Hospitals, which runs Werribee Mercy and the Mercy Hospital for Women, has announced plans to reduce elective surgeries and beds at Werribee after its budget was cut by $3 million.
The budget cut is the result of a federal government decision to reduce Victoria’s health funding by $107 million after the census data showed a drop in the state’s population.
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In a memo to staff last Friday, Mercy Public Hospitals executive director Linda Mellors said the funding cuts would result in a reduction of services.
She said Werribee would have a reduction in patient beds and cots, elective surgeries and outpatient and support services.
Patients at Werribee Mercy are already facing the longest wait in the western suburbs for elective surgeries.
Latest data from the state government reveals that in the first half of last year, patients at Werribee waited an average of 59 days for surgery.
The average wait for elective surgery was just 35 days at Williamstown Hospital and Footscray’s Western Health, while patients at Sunshine Hospital waited for 42 days.
Across the state, the average wait for elective surgery was 39 days.
The hospital also struggled to admit close to a third of emergency department patients to a hospital bed within the required eight hours.
Mercy Health chief executive Stephen Cornelissen said management was working to reduce the impact of the service cuts on patients.
‘‘Our aim is to ensure we minimise the impact of these cuts on the communities we serve and those who are at most risk due to their medical conditions.’’
Mercy Public Hospitals has also asked staff to take annual leave, long service leave or cut their hours, while others will be redeployed.
The hospital will also reduce its use of agency staff.
‘‘We will strive to minimise the impact on staff…if these voluntary initiatives do not achieve the required rostering reductions, it may be necessary to issue directives to some staff to go on leave,’’ Dr Mellors said.
‘‘Staff redundancies will only be considered as a last resort.’’
Mr Cornelissen said there had been no cuts to existing permanent jobs at Werribee Mercy but the Australian Nursing Federation fears up to 12 graduate nurses on 12-month contracts will be left without jobs.
Mr Cornelissen said the funding cuts would not allow the hospital to recruit new staff.
Health Minister David Davis said the funding withdrawal was ‘‘savage and heartless’’ given the rate of population growth in outer metropolitan areas like Werribee.
The federal government maintains that state mismanagement of funding is to blame for the budget cuts.
