PATIENTS at Werribee Mercy Hospital face the longest wait in the western suburbs for elective surgery.
The latest Victorian Health Services Performance report reveals Werribee patients waited an average of 60 days for elective surgery between January and March.
The wait at Sunshine Hospital was 49 days, while patients at Western Hospital and Williamstown Hospital waited 29 and 41 days respectively. The state average was 42 days.
Mercy’s executive director, Linda Mellors, said Werribee Mercy had experienced an increase in patients on its elective surgery waiting list. She said the waiting list had increased 12per cent, with 762 patients wanting elective surgery in March this year, compared to 683 people in March 2011. She said 96per cent of all elective surgery patients were treated within the recommended time.
Hospitals are required to treat category one patients within 30 days, category two patients within 90 days and category three patients within 365 days.
The longest waiting list at Werribee Mercy was for tonsil removal, with patients waiting an average of 108 days. The average wait for all ear, nose and throat surgery was 107 days, up from 100 days in March 2011. Patients requiring orthopaedic surgery waited an average of 103 days. In March 2011, the wait was 54 days.
The most popular surgeries between January and March this year were general surgeries, such as stomach, intestine, gall bladder, liver and pancreas operations.
