Waiting times for surgery (Part 3) - Wait list category
Why am I waiting so long for surgery? I've heard that I will wait longer at Hospital X compared to Hospital Y. Why can't my doctor do my operation in another hospital?
There are several factors which will determine how long you would have to wait for your surgery. In this post, I would focus on Waiting List Categories.
Waiting list categories are largely a public hospital's way of managing large number of patients requiring surgery. In NSW, hospitals are limited to how much surgery they can do by the amount of money the government agrees to provide them the year before. This is what we call Activity Based Funding. Most private hospitals do not really have a wait list in the first place.
When you agree to your surgeon performing an elective procedure for you in a public hospital, he or she will write up a "Recommendation for Admission" form. On this form, your surgeon will indicate your Waiting List Category based on what he or she thinks about your condition.
In NSW, there are 4 categories. They are [1]:
As you can see, your Waiting List Category will greatly affect the time you wait for. This system ensures patients who are sicker gets their surgery sooner. A manager who works with the operating suite or an admissions manager will schedule surgery as per the wait list category and inform you when your surgery will happen.
See also...
Waiting times for surgery (Part 1) - Emergency vs Elective surgery
Waiting times for surgery (Part 2) - Public vs Private Hospitals
References
[1] NSW Health Waiting Time and Elective Surgery Policy
There are several factors which will determine how long you would have to wait for your surgery. In this post, I would focus on Waiting List Categories.
Waiting list categories are largely a public hospital's way of managing large number of patients requiring surgery. In NSW, hospitals are limited to how much surgery they can do by the amount of money the government agrees to provide them the year before. This is what we call Activity Based Funding. Most private hospitals do not really have a wait list in the first place.
When you agree to your surgeon performing an elective procedure for you in a public hospital, he or she will write up a "Recommendation for Admission" form. On this form, your surgeon will indicate your Waiting List Category based on what he or she thinks about your condition.
In NSW, there are 4 categories. They are [1]:
Category 1
|
Admission within 30 days desirable for a condition that has the
potential to deteriorate quickly to the point that it may become an
emergency.
|
Ready for Care
|
Category 2
|
Admission within 90 days desirable for a condition which is not likely
to deteriorate quickly or become an emergency.
|
|
Category 3
|
Admission within 365 days acceptable for a condition which is
unlikely to deteriorate quickly and which has little potential to become an
emergency.
|
|
Category 4
|
Patients who are either clinically not yet ready for admission (staged)
and those who have deferred admission for personal reasons (deferred).
|
Not Ready for Care
|
As you can see, your Waiting List Category will greatly affect the time you wait for. This system ensures patients who are sicker gets their surgery sooner. A manager who works with the operating suite or an admissions manager will schedule surgery as per the wait list category and inform you when your surgery will happen.
See also...
Waiting times for surgery (Part 1) - Emergency vs Elective surgery
Waiting times for surgery (Part 2) - Public vs Private Hospitals
References
[1] NSW Health Waiting Time and Elective Surgery Policy
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