Report on Government Services found one in five Category 2 patients who have elective surgery in Que

One in five Category 2 patients who have elective surgery in Queensland hospitals are subjected to "extended" waits before treatment, a report has found.

Image: Is the wait over for patients? Source: www.sxc.hu: ajsmen, file photo

The annual Report on Government Services found more than 44 per cent of all patients undergoing elective surgery were classified Category 2, or semi-urgent cases requiring surgery within 90 days.

But 21.3 per cent of those were forced to wait longer.

Health Minister Geoff Wilson pointed yesterday to figures showing Queensland had the shortest elective surgery waiting times of any state.

It had achieved this position for the fifth year running.

The proportion of people waiting more than a year fell from 2.5 per cent in 2009-10 to 1.3 per cent in 2010-11.

"When this Government came to power, Queensland's wait times were a national laughing stock. Now we are on top," Mr Wilson said.

The Government has previously come under fire after hospitals were found to be sending letters to patients needing surgery urging them to go elsewhere because the waiting list was too long.

But Mr Wilson said the figures proved the state was treating more patients each year but service quality and safety in public hospitals was improving.

Koren Helbig The Courier-Mail

Have you ever waited at length for elevtive surgery? Or are you a health professional - and what do you think of wait times?

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