Patients across the Illawarra Shoalhaven are benefitting from improved access to planned surgery, following the Minns Labor Government's $30 million investment to expand High Volume Short Stay surgical services across the state.
As part of this investment, a high-volume short stay surgery service has been established at Shellharbour Hospital.
The funding has enabled the delivery of new equipment and increased surgical capacity, with 130 general surgery and gynaecology surgeries expected to be completed by 1 July 2027.
At Shellharbour Hospital, the High-Volume Short Stay model is expected to support increased capacity across a range of specialties, including general surgery, gynaecology, orthopaedics, plastic surgery and ophthalmology.
High Volume Short Stay surgeries are planned procedures where patients are admitted for up to 72 hours.
Statewide, the number of overdue surgeries peaked at more than 18,000 under the Liberals. Since being elected, the Minns Labor Government has reduced the number of people waiting longer than clinically recommended from 14,059 in March 2023 to 3,955 in March 2026.
The $30 million one-off injection builds on the $200 million invested since 2024 to reduce overdue surgeries, and the establishment of the state's first Surgery Hub at Northern Beaches Hospital, which has been active since 1 July and is expected to perform up to 5,000 surgeries per year.
The 2026-27 NSW Budget also included $10.3 billion to support increased capacity across the health system, including to deliver an estimated 2,900 additional planned surgeries.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health and Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park:
"The Minns Labor Government has taken action to slash the overdue surgery waitlist left behind by the Coalition.
"This is a significant boost to surgery services across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, that will help patients access care sooner, recover faster, and spend less time in the hospital.
"We are investing in surgery services across the state, expanding access to care, delivering surgeries on time, and improving patient outcomes."
Quotes attributable to Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson:
"This is fantastic news for our community and another important investment in delivering more health services locally at Shellharbour Hospital.
"The new High Volume Short Stay service will mean more local patients can access the surgery they need sooner, with 130 general surgery and gynaecology procedures expected to be completed by July next year.
"We're continuing to invest in Shellharbour Hospital, increasing surgical capacity across a range of specialties and helping more people receive high-quality care closer to home."
Quotes attributable to Member for Kiama Katelin McInerney:
"The Minns Labor Government is bringing surgery wait times down in our region by investing in the High-Volume Short Stay model.
"These additional 130 surgeries delivers on our commitment to locals in the Kiama electorate to access more surgeries and better health outcomes closer to home."
Quotes attributable to Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Co-Director Division of Surgery, Kate Fish:
"The High-Volume Short Stay surgery model is helping us provide timely access to surgery for more patients, while maintaining the high standard of care our community expects.
"The additional investment at Shellharbour Hospital will allow us to expand surgical capacity and ensure more people can access the care they need sooner and close to home."
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