Regional surgery workforce needs a boost

Transcript: AMA Queensland Vice President, Dr Nick Yim, ABC Sunshine Coast, Drive with Annie Gaffney, Friday 19 April 2024

Subject: Elective surgery wait times

ANNIE GAFFNEY: If you're living with pain or illness, the last thing you want to hear is that you'll have to wait to get an operation to fix it. And the news has come out today that Australians are waiting longer than ever for elective surgery. Record wait times, twice as long as 20 years ago. What about you, is that you? Give me a buzz, 1300 903 222. Dr Nick Yim is the Vice President of the Australian Medical Association of Queensland. He's a GP based in Hervey Bay. Dr Nick, good afternoon. What's driving these longer wait times?

DR NICK YIM: Good afternoon, Annie. So, there's many reasons why wait times are extending. But you're absolutely right, I think our members, our doctors, are very concerned and worried that Queenslanders, and particularly in the regions, are missing out on necessary investigations and important surgeries that potentially can lead to delayed diagnoses and more complicated, expensive care down the track.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: Now, when we talk about elective surgery, we're not talking about facelifts and tummy tucks. Elective surgery can be for things like knee and hip replacements, treating endometriosis, even getting your tonsils out. How many of us are going to need elective surgery at some time in our lives?

DR NICK YIM: Yes, you're spot on. Many of us in the population will need elective surgery. And you're right, those elective surgeries are your hip replacements, your knee replacements, gallbladder removals, your removal of tonsils. Nearly 20 per cent of Queenslanders were unable to receive elective surgery within the clinically recommended times in the last quarter of 2023. So that's not ideal for our Queenslanders.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: What impact can having to wait extended periods for elective surgeries have on patients?

DR NICK YIM: The longer patients need to wait to get their surgeries, to get their treatment, means they might be in pain for longer. They might be out of the workforce, maybe their friends and family might need care for them, so those people may need to be out of the workforce. So, it's a roll-on effect. And also, we know that the longer they wait for elective surgery, they might need to be utilising emergency care and emergency services, and we know that puts a lot of pressure on our public hospitals too.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: The figures out today are in the Australian Medical Association's Public Hospital Report Card, and it's a national report. How does Queensland compare to other states for surgery wait times?

DR NICK YIM: We don't compare that well to be honest, obviously it's something where the concerns are, as we're talking about surgeries here. But at the same time, I'm sure many of your listeners will know, there's also the wait list to actually see the surgeon for that first consultation. I know from being a GP in Hervey Bay, when I refer my patients for an orthopaedic review for their knee pain, there's often months and months of wait before they actually get to see a surgeon. So that's one of the frustrating factors being a GP.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: How much worse is the situation in regional areas? You've just spoken there about some of your patients, but if we had to compare city living in Brisbane to somewhere like Hervey Bay, I mean, how much worse is it?

DR NICK YIM: I think there's challenges. So obviously somewhere like in regional towns, they might not have access to the subspecialty services. So, to give you an idea, cardiothoracic surgeons - people who do bypass surgery - there's 38 cardiothoracic surgeons in all of Queensland but unfortunately over 90 per cent of them are actually located in the major cities. So that means for follow ups, all those sort of things, telehealth is great, but many of our patients do need to travel to the major cities for their reviews and treatments, which is not ideal for regional and rural Queenslanders.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: Just a couple of weeks ago, your organisation announced a round table to examine growing elective surgery wait lists in regional and rural areas and to find solutions. When do you hope to have something to bring to the State Government from that process?

DR NICK YIM: So as with round tables, it takes time to form the round table and to consult and this is a work in progress. We will want to work, I guess briskly, but also consult all members to ensure that we have a worked up solution and plan to present to the Queensland Government.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: The Australian Medical Association is asking the Federal Government to invest more in the health system, too. I note that the government is putting extra money in, but it's not going to pump into the system until 2025. I did hear your national President saying, we need a lot more money and we need it sooner. How much more is needed?

DR NICK YIM: It's challenging. This is one of the challenges with our Australian health care system. So, we've got the federal funding and we've got state funding that goes to the hospitals. I think we've always been calling on that. Both levels of government needs to work collaboratively, because we've got the elements of general practice and primary care. We need to keep patients well in the community and prevent people becoming unwell. But at the same time, we do need the highly functional state hospital system to ensure that regional and rural Queenslanders, along with the metropolitan areas, are well serviced. So, we know that there's a workforce issue and we need to ensure that we have the right numbers of staff, and that includes doctors, nurses, allied health, and pharmacists to service our communities.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: In the meantime, Nick, what's your advice for people who are finding themselves waiting for elective surgery?

DR NICK YIM: I think the key thing is to maintain contact with your general practitioner. Make sure you regularly review with your general practitioner and encourage the general practitioner, if you are deteriorating, to update your referral so you can potentially get access to their care a little bit earlier or retrieve that referral.

ANNIE GAFFNEY: Well, let's hope the Federal Government is listening to the AMA's calls for more funding sooner. Good to speak with you, Nick. As always, thank you.

DR NICK YIM: Always a pleasure. Have a great weekend.

ANNIE GAFFNEY You too. Doctor Nick Yim, Hervey Bay-based GP on ABC Radio Queensland. He's the Vice President of the Australian Medical Association of Queensland.