PATIENTS at Werribee Mercy will face long waits for surgery and beds after the hospital announced plans to close medical and surgical beds and delay elective surgeries.
In an effort to deal with funding cuts, the hospital will close eight medical and four surgical beds and delay 357 elective surgeries in endoscopy, ear, nose and throat, urology, vascular, orthopaedic and general surgery.
It will also close three of its 12 special care nursery cots, four of which opened last October.
As reported by the Weekly, Mercy Public Hospitals had its budget cut by $3 million as a result of a federal government decision to reduce Victoria’s health funding by $107 million after it said census data showed a drop in the state’s population.
Executive director Linda Mellors said that while there would be no changes to birthing, oncology, mental health, dialysis, palliative care and emergency services, patients could face longer stays in the emergency department.
Latest state government data shows the hospital is already struggling to transfer patients from the emergency department to ward beds.
A hospital employee, who asked not to be named, said the bed closures would put more pressure on staff and compromise patient care.
She said the shortage could lead to patients being discharged from wards sooner than usual.
Dr Mellors said the hospital was aware of the effect the surgery delays and bed closures would have on patients.
“We are continuing our negotiations with the Department of Health regarding the impact on services and our ability to achieve performance targets in emergency departments, surgery and other service areas.”
Dr Mellors said the hospital was working to protect as many jobs as possible and would ask staff to consider taking annual leave, long service leave or leave without pay.
Prime Minister and Lalor MP Julia Gillard said the state government was misleading people and that her government had actually increased funding for Victorian hospitals.
