Operating theatre efficiency report

In 2011-12, approximately 210,000 patients had elective surgery in over 270 public hospital operating theatres in New South Wales. The cost of elective surgery within hospitals is estimated to be $1.3 billion each year or about 17 per cent of NSW Health’s inpatient hospital services budget.  Managing operating theatre efficiency for elective surgery is a report from the NSW Auditor General released this month which gives all such statistics, as well as the fact that 45% of all admissions to operating theatres are for elective surgery. 

The report concludes that there is room for operating theatres to be managed more efficiently and that there is potential for more elective surgery at current funding and resourcing levels.  It was acknowledged that  despite elective surgery numbers growing by 6% over the last three years, public hospitals are now treating patients from waiting lists substantially within national clinical timeframes.  However, the audit showed that NSW Health is not meeting its three key elective surgery efficiency targets: theatre utilisation, cancellations on the day of surgery and first case starting on time.  One problem identified was that local management needs access to more information, particularly financial information, in order to manage operating theatres more efficiently.  Various other recommendations were made.