The number of elective surgeries performed at Orange Hospital between April and June this year has increased by 39.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.
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According to the the Bureau of Health Information's latest Healthcare Quarterly report, there were 858 elective surgeries conducted in Orange during that 2021 quarter.
The figure was an increase of 243 on the same period last year when 615 surgeries were performed in Orange, the lowest number since the first quarter of 2011.
BHI Chief Executive Dr Diane Watson said the quarterly results showed demand for healthcare services in April to June, 2021, rose above pre-pandemic levels across many key measures.
"Hospitals continued their focus on boosting elective surgery levels following the suspension of some services for a time in 2020, and this resulted in better on-time performance and reduced waiting lists in April to June 2021," Dr Watson said.
State-wide there were 64,599 elective surgeries performed, the highest of any April to June quarter since 2010, and record numbers were seen across all urgency categories.
"The percentage of patients who received their surgery on time continued to improve while waiting lists were markedly shorter at the end of June 2021 when compared with the record levels seen a year earlier," Dr Watson said.
Hospitals continued their focus on boosting elective surgery levels following the suspension of some services for a time in 2020, and this resulted in better on-time performance and reduced waiting lists in April to June 2021.
- BHI Chief Executive Dr Diane Watson
In Orange there were 108 cataract extractions, up by 94.4 per cent on last year.
There were also 71 cystoscopies, which involve a doctor using a cystoscope to look inside the bladder. These were up by 173.1 per cent on the same period last year, and were the greatest number performed since 2015.
Other surgeries that increased quarter on quarter included, 30 cholecystectomies or gall bladder removals; 28 hysteroscopies, which involve looking inside the cervix and uterus using a thin, flexible tube; 25 total hip replacements; 22 general surgeries; 16 prostatectomies; 15 abdominal hysterectomies; and 14 surgeries for hernias.
There were also 32 total knee replacements and 26 tonsillectomies, which were both up on last year but lower than previous years.
There was no comparative data for some surgeries such as varicose vein stripping and ligation, for which there were eight surgeries; six surgeries to repair perforated eardrums; and less than five people had haemorrhoids removed or septoplasty such as straightening a deviated nasal septum.
Across NSW, 89.3 per cent of elective surgeries were performed on time and in Orange that figure was 85.3 per cent, which marked a 22.9 percentage point improvement on the same quarter last year.
The on-time performance figure placed it in 13th position among its peer group behind Canterbury and Northern Beaches, which both achieved 100 per cent; followed by other hospitals in Greater Sydney, The Tweed, Maitland, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga, but ahead of Dubbo.
However, 100 per cent of urgent elective surgeries were performed on time in Orange, with waiting times including four days for urgent procedures, 11 days for semi-urgent and 43 days for non-urgent.
There were 1591 patients on the waiting list at the end of the quarter and 13 patients waited longer than recommended, down from 150 in April to June 2020.
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