Surgery Recovery and Reform
Improving elective surgery access in post-pandemic recovery is one of the four Ministerial priorities for Victorian Health Service Partnerships (HSPs). In order to achieve this the Victorian Government committed to $21.6 million, over three years, to support each Victorian Health Service Partnership to develop a regional plan for improving patient outcomes by reducing planned surgery wait times. The LMHN Surgery Recovery and Reform Program will provide improved and sustained regional planned surgery access to the Loddon Mallee community by increasing surgical capacity, reducing waitlists, reducing the time patients wait for their surgery, freeing bed capacity and providing the right surgery, at the right time, for the right reason. Tailored to each health service, changes will be made to a specific list of surgical procedures, starting with laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) and moving next to simple breast surgeries. Dhelkaya Health, for example, is working on these priorities: • Introduce nurse-led criteria-based discharge • Schedule lap chole procedures for the morning (surgical) session • Update discharge information to help reset patient expectations (around length of stay)
Sue Race, CEO of Dhelkaya Health says their size allows them agility and flexibility. “We’re already making significant changes in response to the surgery recovery and reform agenda,” said Sue. “First, we’re moving patients to day surgery when safe to do, and scheduling certain surgeries for mornings rather than afternoons so patients can go home that same day. Second, we’re looking at patient flow to maximise use of our theatre time and make sure we’re seeing the right balance of public patients to reduce planned surgery waiting lists,” said Sue. Third, the team at Dhelkaya are working with consumers on discharge to clarify expectations around length of stay and applying criteria-led discharge to make sure they can go home as soon as they’re medically ready. “Our Victorian Healthcare Experience Survey discharge planning score is 93% and we’re getting some great feedback from patients.” A patient recently commented; “[The staff] put me at ease, talked to me throughout about what they were doing and why. I also appreciated the surgeon coming to talk to me about how the procedure had gone and explaining where the results would be sent.”
Dhelkaya Health is a local health service and our size gives us agility and flexibility. This means we’re already making significant changes in response to the surgery recovery and reform agenda.
I was admitted and seen for evaluation in a timely manner and had the procedure shortly after. Everything was explained to me and any questions I had answered so I was happy. Excellent care.
LMHN Regional Review | Issue 3 | Autumn 2023
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