Health system critical

MORE than 50,000 Victorians are waiting for elective surgery after a blowout in waiting lists in the first three months of the year.

Health Minister David Davis released five reports into the state of the health system yesterday as attention turned to Canberra for the Federal Budget.

The waiting list jumped more than 6 per cent from December 31, 2012 to March 31, 2013, an increase more than 10 times the rise of the previous quarter.

"The quarterly report shows a waiting list of 50,565 at the end of March this year, that is a higher waiting list and we're very conscious of the impact of that higher waiting list," Mr Davis said.

The Northern Hospital waiting list increased 20 per cent to more than 1800.

Sunshine Hospital's waiting list jumped 32 per cent and Western Hospital Footscray was up 40 per cent.

"We're aware of the challenge the west and the north and the southeast face in terms of population growth, and part of that is reflected in those," Mr Davis said.

He said the Federal Government's funding cut and subsequent return of money to Victorian hospitals was partly to blame. "We would have not had that confusion ... we would have had a lower waiting list, a significantly lower waiting list."

The audit of waiting times for patients to see specialists was also released, a year after it was handed to Mr Davis.

The independent report used data from June 2011 and found at that time 78,952 people were waiting to see a specialist for an initial appointment. The average wait time was 114 days.

The wait for patients to see a specialist for psychiatry and behavioural disorders was an average of 434 days.

Mr Davis had promised the report into "the waiting list before the waiting list" while in opposition.

Opposition health spokesman Gavin Jennings said more people were waiting longer than ever for surgery.

"Shockingly, the data also shows that in the March quarter, over 5000 people had their scheduled surgery cancelled," he said.

"In almost every measure, our health system is going backwards - this is what happens when you cut $826 million from the health system."

michelle.ainsworth@news.com.au

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