Tasmanians are waiting longer for elective surgery in public hospitals than any other state or territory.
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According to figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 8.7 per cent of Tasmanian patients waited more than 365 days for elective surgery in 2018-19, compared to 3.3 per cent the year before.
There were 17,858 Tasmanians admitted for elective surgery in 2018-19 - the highest of any state or territory per 1000 population, at 33.6.
Of these, ophthalmology represented the highest proportion based on specialty with 19.1 per cent of patients waiting more than a year, followed by orthopedic surgery at 14.1 per cent and neurosurgery at 8.4 per cent.
In Tasmania, the average wait time in which half of all patients were admitted for their awaited surgery was 57 days, compared to 28 days in Victoria.
The proportion of Tasmanian patients admitted within the clinically recommended time was 60.4 per cent, compared to 97 per cent in New South Wales.
AIHW spokesman Dr Adrian Webster said while more Australians were undergoing elective surgery and receiving emergency department care in public hospitals, waiting times were growing longer.
"The new information shows that 890,000 patients [nationally] were added to public hospital elective surgery waiting lists during 2018-19, while only 760,000 patients were admitted for their surgery in the same period," he said.
"The number of patients receiving their awaited surgery increased by 1.2 per cent from the previous year. This was less than the average of 2.1 per cent growth per year in the number of people receiving surgery since 2014-15 but higher than the 0.1 per cent increase the previous year.
"These data suggest that, over time, growth in the number of people receiving elective surgery in public hospitals is not keeping up with demand for elective surgery."
There were 165,994 emergency department presentations in Tasmania in 2018-19, compared to 150,076 in 2014-15.
Of these, males and females aged between 15 and 24 represented the highest proportion of overall visits, at 10,784 and 13,087 respectively.
Acknowledging the demand, Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the government had worked hard to bring forward federal funding for more elective surgeries and was focused on providing better care for Tasmanians.
"The $20 million, originally over four years, will see $15 million available immediately to help thousands more Tasmanians to get elective surgeries and endoscopies, ensuring patients who have been waiting the longest receive treatment more quickly," she said.
"Tasmania continued to see high demand for elective surgery, with the number of people added to the waiting list last financial year more than 3,000 greater than five years ago.
"Despite this growth, we have reduced the average excessive waiting time for the longest waiting non-urgent patients by 82 per cent.
"We are continuing to focus on providing better care for Tasmanians, and that is why we have worked hard to bring forward Commonwealth money."