A STATE Government report has revealed the number of ambulance bypasses and people waiting for elective surgery at the Monash Medical Centre had been significantly reduced.
The Government’s Hospital Services Report for the December quarter showed the ambulance bypass rate for the center was 39 compared to 104 in the previous quarter.
The report also showed that all `urgent’ waiting list patients received surgery within 30 days while patients waiting for urgent elective surgery fell from 105 to 45 in the last quarter.
Waiting time for a bed was also reduced, with the number of patients staying in the emergency for more than 12 hours while waiting for a bed falling from 1097 to 776.
The number of patients admitted to the hospital rose by 3% while patients treated at the emergency department rose by 1.8%.
Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the report showed significant improvements at Monash in key areas despite hospital admissions rising by 14.1%, and emergency admissions by 21.5%.
“Government initiatives such as the Hospital Demand Strategy and Hospital Admission Risk Program, are ensuring that more people receive treatment for chronic illnesses and other conditions rather than deteriorating to the point where they need to go to the hospital.
“This ensures hospital emergency departments are streamlined and ambulances are able to deliver more serious cases without concerns over the bypass,” she said.
Ms. Pike praised the efforts of Victorian hospitals but said the good work was being undermined by the Federal Government’s push to dismantle Medicare.
