Categories

After obtaining a referral from a GP, the patient is given an appointment at a specialist outpatient clinic. Their condition is assessed and a course of treatment is decided by the patient and their health team. If this involves surgery, the specialist will give the patient an urgency category and place them on the elective waiting list. The category system ensures that all patients who need surgery can be treated in order of priority. There are three urgency categories, where 1 is most urgent and 3 is least urgent.

Category 1

A condition that could get worse quickly to the point that it may become an emergency. Patient should have surgery within 30 days of being added to the waiting list.

Category 2

A condition causing some pain, dysfunction or disability, but is not likely to get worse quickly or become an emergency. patient should have surgery within 90 days of being added to the waiting list.

Category 3

A condition causing minimal or no pain, dysfunction or disability, which is unlikely to get worse quickly and which does not have the potential to become an emergency. Patient should have surgery within 365 days of being added to the waiting list.

Surgical Specialties

Abbreviations used for elective surgery specialties:

• C-T: cardio-thoracic surgery
• GYN: gynaecology
• ORT: orthopaedic surgery
• VAR: vascular surgery
• ENT: ear, nose and throat surgery
• NEU: neurosurgery
• P&U: plastic & reconstructive surgery
• OTH: other surgery
• GEN: general surgery
• OPH: ophthalmology
• URO: urology

Quarterly indicators

Number of patients treated

How much elective surgery activity was done?

Tables show the number of patients who were removed from an elective surgery waiting list because they received their surgery in a public hospital. The number of patients who were treated in each category shows the mix of the urgency of patients. The number of patients who were treated in each surgical specialty shows the mix of the types of surgery performed on patients.

Variation in number of patients treated

Was there more elective surgery activity than last year?

This shows the difference, as a percentage, in the number of elective surgery patients who received their surgery this quarter compared to the same month last year. A positive percentage means more patients were treated.

Number of patients waiting longer than the clinically recommended time - ready for care

How many patients were waiting longer than recommended?

A performance measure that shows if hospitals are meeting recommended timeframes for elective surgery. This measure captures the number of ready for care patients on an elective surgery waiting list at the census date that have been waiting for longer than the maximum recommended time.

A ready for care patient is one who is clinically and personally ready for their surgery on the census date.

The census date is the day after the end of the quarter listed in the heading.

The higher the number, the worse the performance. The number of 'long wait' patients waiting in each category shows the mix of urgency. The number of 'long wait' patients waiting in each surgical specialty shows the mix of surgery types. The value in this measure and the value in the measure Number of patients waiting longer than the clinically recommended time - not ready for care added together provides a total of the 'long wait' patients.

Number of patients waiting longer than the clinically recommended time - not ready for care

How many patients were waiting longer than recommended?

A performance measure that shows if hospitals are meeting recommended timeframes for elective surgery. This measure captures the number of not ready for care patients on an elective surgery waiting list at the census date that have been waiting for longer than the maximum recommended time.

A not ready for care patient is one who is not clinically or personally ready for their surgery on the census date.

The census date is the day after the end of the quarter listed in the heading.

The higher the number, the worse the performance. The number of 'long wait' patients waiting in each category shows the mix of urgency. The number of 'long wait' patients waiting in each surgical specialty shows the mix of surgery types. The value in this measure and the value in the measure Number of patients waiting longer than the clinically recommended time - ready for care added together provides a total of the 'long wait' patients.

Patients waiting within the clinically recommended time - ready for care

Were patient waiting times appropriate?

Another performance measure that shows if hospitals are meeting recommended timeframes for each urgency category. This measure shows, for each category, the percentage of ready for care patients on an elective surgery waiting list at the census date who waited for less than the maximum recommended time.

A ready for care patient is one who is clinically and personally ready for their surgery on the census date.

The census date is the day after the end of the quarter listed in the heading.

The higher the percentage, the better the performance. The percentage of 'in time' patients waiting in each category shows the mix of urgency. The number of 'in time' patients waiting in each surgical specialty shows the mix of surgery types.

Patients treated within the clinically recommended time

Were patients treated within an appropriate time?

This measure shows how well hospitals performed at providing elective surgery services within the recommended timeframe for each urgency category. The higher the percentage, the better the performance. The second table shows the percentage of patients that received their surgery within the recommended time, shown for each specialty of surgery that was performed.

Number of patients waiting

How many people needed elective surgery?

Tables show the number of patients on an elective surgery waiting list on a given day. The census date is the day after the end of the quarter listed in the heading. This is a measure of the demand for elective surgery services. The number of patients waiting in each category shows the mix of urgency. The number of patients waiting in each surgical specialty shows the mix of surgery types.

Patients treated in turn

Category 2 and 3 patients treated in turn

Were category 2 and 3 patients treated in waiting time order?

Some elective surgery patients experience a longer wait for surgery because other patients are treated out of turn. When queue jumping occurs and patients are treated out of turn, all other patients behind them wait longer for their surgery. In the health setting, it is reasonable that some elective surgery patients are treated out of turn because of the urgency of their condition. To balance clinical need with equity of access, 6 out of every 10 category 2 and 3 patients (therefore 60 per cent) should be treated in waiting time order. The process of 'Treating in turn' does reduce the waiting times of the longest waiting patients.

Quarterly indicators

Median waiting time to treatment

How many days did 50% of people wait?

Another performance measure for hospitals. The table shows the median number of days that patients waited for surgery in the quarter. This median is calculated by arranging each patient's waiting time in order and then selecting the waiting time that is in the middle. For example, if the median waiting time for category 1 patients is 14 days, this means that half of the patients were treated in 14 days or less, and the other half of patients were treated after 14 days. Note that a median value is not displayed where there are less than 10 patients treated.

90th percentile waiting time to treatment

How many days did 90% of people wait?

Another performance measure for hospitals. The table shows the number of days that 90% of patients waited for surgery in the quarter. Indicates the normal waiting period. For example, if the 90th percentile for category 1 patients is 35 days, this means that 90% of category 1 patients were treated in 35 days or less, and there is a good chance that future category 1 patients will be treated within the same number of days. Note that a median value is not displayed where there are less than 10 patients treated.

Number of patients treated through Surgery Connect

How many patients were outsourced to the private sector for their elective surgery?

Surgery Connect is a Queensland Health initiative which provides an opportunity to treat selected patients in the private sector. The table shows the number of procedures undertaken within the private sector through Surgery Connect. This provides a measure of the activity of outsourced elective surgery services. This data is presented as a statewide total, not for individual hospitals. If a patient has waited longer than recommended for their category on an elective surgery waiting list and the demand for this service can't be met in a public hospital, the patient may be offered an opportunity to be treated through this initiative. Surgery Connect eases the burden on public hospitals while maintaining an acceptable level of service to public patients.