Patients who have been waiting the longest for elective surgery in Tasmanian will be prioritised by a new panel being set up to clear waiting lists.
The Tasmanian Government is calling for tenders for the panel from representatives of public or private hospitals in Tasmania or Victoria.
The panel will decide which cases should be prioritised and which hospital and location would be best suited to perform the procedure.
The chosen providers will focus on patients who are waiting for elective surgery, but have been unable to have it scheduled in one of Tasmania’s four public hospitals.
The contracts will be funded using $26 million from the Federal Government and the successful hospitals will be announced in June.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson said he accepted that extra money will not be enough to clear the entire surgical waiting list.
“That’s why we’re reforming the health system and changing the way our health system operates to get better outcomes,” he said.
“This includes establishing the Mersey as a dedicated Elective Day Surgery Centre, in order to help tackle the far-too-long waiting lists.”
The latest progress report into Tasmania’s public hospitals released last week showed a 42 per cent increase in elective surgery waiting lists at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The quarterly report revealed that across Tasmania, more than 8,000 people were on waiting lists in December.
The tender documents for the panel revealed more detail about the length of time people have been on waiting lists.
In one case a person seeking a hip replacement has been waiting nearly four years.
The number of people that have been waiting more than six months number 1,468, while 226 patients have been waiting more than two years.
Mr Ferguson hoped the targeted surgeries could begin as early as July.
“[This will] be particularly targeting our patients who have been waiting the longest and who unfortunately have not been scheduled for their treatment in one of Tasmania’s public hospitals,” he said.
“We want to establish what the public and private providers can come to the table with, and tell us what they’re able to do and at what price.”
Tenders for the panel will close on May 6.