Leaked email shows hospitals culling surgeries despite McGowan saying hospitals are ‘ready’

Surgical departments across the South West have been forced to cap some procedures at 50 per cent due to “very fragile staffing” — despite Premier Mark McGowan claiming the health system “is strong and ready”. A leaked email obtained by the Bunbury Herald reveals Bunbury Hospital — the worst affected — has had to cancel half of all orthopaedic and general procedures as well as more than a third of scopes. The revelation is backed up by concerns from a leading Bunbury doctor, who last week revealed the South West’s hospitals “are not ready” and “will not cope” with COVID outbreaks. The new “modified theatre schedule” began on January 24, just four days after Premier Mark McGowan announced an indefinite delay of WA’s safe transition plan. The leaked email reveals the new schedule will be in place for four weeks to ensure there are enough resources to deal with “catastrophic car accidents” and COVID emergencies. The latest email suggests the worker woes will continue well into the new year, the situation becoming so dire management has had to buy theatre spots in the private St John of God Hospital next-door. This modified schedule falls in line with claims by Brecken Health Group founder and director, doctor Brenda Murrison who said medical staff tend to move between States around this time of year, creating short-term but critical staff shortages across regional hospitals and medical centres. Dr Murrison said she had initially felt relief at Mr McGowan’s announcement due to current medical staff shortages. “It was a relief mainly because I know the hospitals are not ready,” she said. “If you’re delaying the opening to allow hospital staff to move around, you really have to be sure that once that moves happens — which by the end of February it will be complete — that you have to open up in summer,” she warned. According to the leaked email, some Bunbury surgeries will be shifted to surrounding peripheral hospitals creating flow on delays for local patients. Across the South West, all children’s dental procedures have been axed, all orthopaedic theatre spots will be slashed by 29 per cent, general theatre has been reduced by 14 per cent and ophthalmology surgeries slashed by 18 per cent. The cuts are deepest at Bunbury Hospital, where 54 per cent of orthopaedic theatre time will disappear. The latest correspondence comes after doctors in the region wrote to the head of the Health Department David Russell-Weisz with claims Bunbury Hospital did not have enough staff to cope with a potential influx of COVID patients. The clinicians also warned emergency patient care would be “significantly compromised” over the festive season because of a staffing shortfall of 50 per cent in some areas. WACHS Bunbury Hospital director Jeff Calver said the hospital had cut surgeries in order to be able to cope with “catastrophic car accidents”. “Rescheduling elective surgeries isn’t ideal and we regret any inconvenience it causes staff and patients. But we have an absolute obligation to prioritise emergency and trauma cases over non-urgent procedures.” Mr Calver said Christmas and school holidays were traditionally a difficult time to staff health services. Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson was contacted for comment.