Vic: More than 2000 hospital beds disappear

Thursday 23rd January, 2014

A statewide audit conducted by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation's Victorian Branch reveals a massive shortfall of 2017 hospital beds available to patients.

Since the ANMF's last audit in 2011, more than 100 extra beds have disappeared and over 1100 beds are closed. Many lie unoccupied due to Health Department budgetary cuts.

Further, an additional 800 beds promised by the present government in pre-election material have not been provided.

That broken promise puts the total shortfall at 2017 beds.

Lack of beds is a catalyst for much of Victoria's health crisis including:

1.       almost 10,000 additional patients added to Victoria's elective surgery waiting lists since 2011
2.       terrible incidences of violence perpetrated against health professionals
3.       a growing crisis in ambulance ramping
4.       more delays in ambulances reaching people waiting for emergency care
5.       growing mental health woes
6.       Emergency Department chaos.

Unless the Napthine Government acts now the Victorian community's health will increasingly be put at risk.

"We can't care for patients safely and provide for their needs if there are not enough beds available to accommodate them," Acting Secretary of the ANMF Victorian Branch, Paul Gilbert, said.

"The frustration and anger the community is feeling is understandable. Sadly this frustration is directed towards the nurses, midwives and other health professionals.

"The 800-bed promise was welcome news at the time but we have suffered a double hit since then; the loss of 1217 beds, which was not revealed by the government at the time, and the non-delivery of the 800 beds.

"This is not a numbers game. It's about patients not being able to have their elective surgery; there are now almost 10,000 more people on the waiting list than there were in 2011.

"And it's about treating people safely and with the levels of care they deserve, not in an atmosphere of disorder and chaos, which exists in emergency departments today while beds lay empty." he said.

Mr Gilbert said the Health Department's record over the past three years has fallen far short of the mark under Health Minister David Davis' watch.

"In April, 2011, Minister Davis admitted that inadequate bed numbers in key public hospitals were a key cause of the long wait times.

"Yet, since that time, he has fudged the figures, at times claiming to have opened more beds when in fact they were being closed down.

"The people of Victoria deserve better. And they deserve the truth," Mr Gilbert said.

Comparative summary

Beds removed - 101
Promised beds - 800
Closed beds (available but not utilised/funded) - 1116

Total missing beds - 2017

Victorian hospital performance data - Department of Health, Vic

Elective surgery waiting lists

Waiting list for elective surgery for Victoria has increased from 40,071 in Jan - March 2011 to 48,363 in Sept 2013 and peaked at 50,054 in March 2013.

Number of hours on hospital bypass - Department of Health, Vic

Jan - March 2011= 1,229 hours
July - Sep 2013 = 1,885 hours