Tuesday January 21, 2025

  • Eastern Health has seen over 40,000 surgeries completed; a 15.6 percent rise in surgeries from the previous year.
  • The Eastern Health Blackburn Public Surgical Centre reopening has enabled the expansion of in-hours preadmission clinics, facilitating over 600 additional appointments across specialties such as General Surgery, Vascular, Orthopedics, and Gynaecology.

  • Surgery reform clinics have delivered a 39 percent reduction in the planned surgery preparation list, decreasing from 7,713 patients in April 2023 to 4,719 by March 2024.

 

The Eastern Health Blackburn Public Surgical Centre has been improving patient outcomes after reopening two theatres and a ward, and welcoming new specialist and surgery reform clinics last May.

The redevelopment has enabled the expansion of in-hours preadmission clinics, facilitating over 600 additional appointments across specialties such as General Surgery, Vascular, Orthopedics, and Gynaecology.

An innovative Saturday service added 100 extra appointments specifically for Orthopedics and General Surgery, reducing wait times and improving efficiency in surgery preparation processes.

Director Operations Surgery and Anaesthetics, Louisa Ford notes that Eastern Health saw a 15.6 percent rise in surgeries from the previous year, inspiring staff to continuously find ways to make patient care more efficient and effective.

“The implementation of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) model reduced the average length of stay for various surgical procedures and saved 211 bed days between April 2023 and March 2024.

“Complementing this, the Virtual Surgery School has been instrumental in engaging consumers early in their care journey. Launched in June 2024, it offers accessible, centralised information to empower patients in decision-making and care planning. It has already been accessed over 600 times,” she said.

Image: Eastern Health

While Eastern Health saw a 15.6 percent rise in surgeries from the previous year, the team at the Blackburn Public Surgical Centre have also found non-surgical pathways for consumers previously waiting for an operation.

“Our surgery reform clinics have delivered a 39 percent reduction in the planned surgery preparation list, decreasing from 7,713 patients in April 2023 to 4,719 by March 2024.

“This success includes the diversion of 1,164 patients from surgical waitlists to effective non-surgical pathways, leveraging allied health primary contact models of care. The reforms have significantly cut down long wait times and enhanced communication with patients,” Ms Ford said.

The integration of Public in Private services contributed an additional 729 admissions, alongside 69 colonoscopy procedures, ensuring everyone has the best possible access to healthcare.