Patients in Werribee will get the surgery they need sooner, with Australia’s largest ever one-off investment to tackle elective surgery waiting lists in the 2016-17 Victorian Budget.

The $335 million boost will mean nearly 200,000 Victorians will get the surgery they need sooner this year.

As part of this package, health services across Victoria – including Mercy Health – will also share in a funding boost to build new theatres, open more beds and buy more equipment so they can treat more patients, more quickly.

Mercy Health will receive funding for new equipment which will help improve elective surgery outcomes.

This funding will help doctors and nurses treat more patients, more quickly.

This record investment in elective surgery will mean the patients currently waiting the longest for surgeries will move off hospital waiting lists and get the surgeries they need sooner.

Those patients waiting the longest, with the most complex surgeries, will be prioritised. This record investment will mean that these patients will now get the surgery they need.

The additional funding for this year is the equivalent of:

• Around 3,100 more coronary artery by-pass grafts
• Around 6,700 more hip replacements
• Around 6,800 more knee replacements
• Around 22,000 more sinus and ear operations
• Around 34,000 more eye surgeries

Under the former Liberal Government, Victorians were waiting too long for vital surgeries and treatments with an average of 158,000 patients receiving surgery per year.

The $335 million boost includes funding over four years for additional elective surgery and an immediate $20 million capital works injection.

Quotes attributable to Member for Werribee, Tim Pallas

“This record investment in elective surgeries will mean those patients in Werribee currently waiting the longest will get the surgeries they need sooner.”

“Under the former Liberal Government, patients waited too long for their surgery. This funding will support hospitals to treat more patients, more quickly and help get patients off waiting lists.”

 “We want people in Werribee to be healthy and happy at work, or at home with their families.”

“Here at Werribee our investment will mean local patients can get the surgeries and treatment they need, close to home and as soon possible.”