The reputation of NSW as the best provider of elective surgery in the country has been bolstered by the latest Bureau of Health Information figures on public hospital performance.

The quarterly independent report on NSW’s public healthcare system reveals our hospitals performed more elective surgeries this winter than last and nearly all were delivered on time.

NSW Health Deputy Secretary Susan Pearce said July to September 2018 figures show there are almost 60,000 elective surgery procedures, up 2.6 per cent on last year’s figures.

“These quarterly results are outstanding given many States cancel elective surgery over winter, yet more surgery was done in NSW than last year and done on time,” Ms Pearce said.

“97.6 per cent of all elective surgeries were performed within recommended time frames which shows once again that NSW leads the nation in on-time elective surgery performance.

“We want people to understand 78,000 people on the waiting list, doesn’t mean 78,000 people overdue for surgery, in fact NSW is performing stronger than any other State.”

Figures also reveal despite a milder winter this year, emergency departments were still busy with 694,051 people presenting for care and almost three-quarters of those seen on time.

“This is also a great result and improves on figures for this time last year – patients who had their treatment start on time in our ED’s was up almost three per cent,” Ms Pearce said.

“These results are a testament to the efforts of our doctors, nurses and paramedics but also to the community who responded early to the call to be vaccinated and in greater numbers.”

In 2018-19, the NSW Government is investing a record $22.9 billion in health, an increase of $1.1 billion on the previous financial year. This includes $19.2 billion towards improving services in hospitals in NSW this year.

An investment of $759 million for acute patient services will fund an additional 40,000 emergency department attendances in addition to 2.9 million already provided and an extra 3,200 elective surgeries in addition to the 225,500 already provided.

The NSW Government’s record $1 billion 2018-19 NSW Ambulance budget includes a commitment to provide an additional 700 paramedics and 50 Triple Zero control centre staff over the next four years.

The 2018-19 Budget also added 1,370 health staff, including 950 nurses and midwives, 300 medical practitioners and 120 allied health professionals – resulting in a record frontline clinical and clinical support staff of over 105,000.