Urgent surgeries delayed as 3000 hospital emails unread

More than 3000 unread emails at Canterbury Hospital in southwest Sydney have delayed surgeries for more than a dozen patients, according to a recent review. Four patients needed urgent procedures and 12 others had semi-urgent conditions, but their elective surgeries were not scheduled within recommended timeframes. The hospital spokesperson apologized and promised to minimize the impact on affected patients, admitting to urgently allocated admission dates and contacting treating surgeons.

The Australian Medical Association NSW branch president, Fred Betros, expressed concern over the incident, stating that timeframes for surgery are crucial and a failure in this regard can have severe consequences for patients and their families. Dr. Betros also criticized the government for not providing sufficient funding to address the healthcare workforce shortage.

NSW opposition health spokesperson Sarah Mitchell emphasized the need for immediate care and assurance that this failure is not occurring in other hospitals. The state Labor government has allocated $400 million to redevelop Canterbury Hospital. As of the June quarter, 85.6% of elective surgeries statewide were completed on time.