Tasmania’s Department of Health has reset its performance target for elective surgeries, a move that could see nearly one in three patients waiting beyond their clinically recommended timeframe. The ABC reported today that the new target allows for up to 30 per cent of elective surgery patients to exceed their recommended wait times. This means the Department aims for at least 70 per cent of patients to undergo surgery within the timeframes set by medical professionals.

This revised approach marks a significant shift from the previous year’s target, which focused on a specific number of patients rather than a percentage. Last year’s plan aimed for no more than 270 individuals to wait longer than recommended.

Currently, approximately 9,500 Tasmanians are on the waiting list for elective surgery across the state. Latest data for July indicates that only 59 per cent of elective surgeries were performed within the clinically recommended timeframe, a decrease from 64 per cent in July of the previous year.

The President of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Meg Creely, has voiced concerns, describing the new target as “insufficiently ambitious,” according to the ABC. Ms Creely also highlighted that altering how these indicators are measured between annual plans makes it more challenging for both medical professionals and the public to accurately assess the healthcare system’s performance. She suggested that extended waiting lists could exacerbate the disparity between those who can afford private healthcare and those who rely on the public system.

Elective surgeries in Tasmania are categorised by urgency. Category 1 procedures are deemed urgent and should ideally be performed within 30 days. For this critical category, the new plan aims for 95 per cent of surgeries to be completed on time. However, in July, only 65 per cent of Category 1 patients received their surgery within the recommended 30-day window.

Category 2, or semi-urgent, patients are recommended to be treated within 90 days, while Category 3, non-urgent patients, should receive treatment within 365 days.

Looking ahead, the Tasmanian health service anticipates performing more than 21,500 elective surgeries under its 2026-2027 plan. This figure represents approximately 400 fewer procedures than were planned for the previous year.

For more detailed information, readers are encouraged to refer to the original report by ABC News (Tasmania).