Capital Investment for Elective Surgery

The Government will improve access to elective surgery in public hospitals by investing $150 million in capital funding over three years to improve the capacity of states and territories to provide elective surgery.

Capital Investment for Elective Surgery fact sheet (PDF 36 KB)

How will the capital funding work?
What has the Australian Government done so far to reduce elective surgery waiting lists?

Many public patients are waiting too long to have elective surgery.

The Australian Government is taking action through its National Health and Hospitals Network.

The Government will improve access to elective surgery in public hospitals by investing $150 million in capital funding over three years to improve the capacity of states and territories to provide elective surgery.

How will the capital funding work?

This $150 million will deliver improved elective surgery infrastructure such as designated elective surgery centres, day surgery centres, purchase of new surgical equipment or new systems to improve the management of surgery delivery.

This will mean fewer delays and rescheduling of surgery, leading to shorter waiting times for patients. It will help to achieve the elective surgery target of 95 per cent of patients waiting for elective surgery in all urgency categories being treated within the clinically recommended time by 2015, and to ensure that the National Access Guarantee is met.

Capital funding will start from the middle of 2010.

Projects will be determined in consultation with state and territory governments.

What has the Australian Government done so far to reduce elective surgery waiting lists?

Since 2007, the Government has provided $600 million to the states and territories in three stages through the Elective Surgery Waiting List Reduction Plan.

It included:

• $150 million for a blitz on elective surgery waiting lists (Stage One). More than 41,000 extra elective surgeries were provided during Stage One, exceeding the national target of an extra 25,000 procedures by 64 per cent;
• $150 million for projects at more than 120 hospitals, including the purchase of medical and surgical equipment and the construction of operating theatres (Stage Two). The majority of projects are expected to be completed by 30 June 2010; and
• $300 million in performance payments for the achievement of targets to increase the number of people receiving elective surgery and to reduce the number of people waiting too long for their surgery (Stage Three) – this is currently being rolled out.

Further information on the National Health and Hospitals Network is at www.yourhealth.gov.auback to top