Sarah Mitchell
Shadow Minister for Health
Mark Coure
Shadow Minister for South Western Sydney
Member for Oatley
The Minns Labor Government must explain how urgent surgery referrals were left unread for months at Canterbury Hospital and urgently check referral systems across NSW hospitals to ensure other patients have not been overlooked.
Reports today reveal an unmonitored inbox contained more than 3,000 emails with 16 overdue patient referrals, including four urgent cases requiring surgery within 30 days and 12 semi-urgent cases requiring surgery within 90 days.
Shadow Minister for Health Sarah Mitchell said patients needed immediate care and assurance that referrals were being properly managed across the hospital system.
"Patients were waiting for surgery while their referrals sat unread in an inbox. This is a basic failure with potentially serious consequences," Ms Mitchell said.
"The immediate question is whether anyone else is waiting for treatment because nobody has read their referral."
"The Health Minister must urgently ensure referral systems are checked across NSW hospitals. Patients and their families need confidence that this failure is not happening elsewhere."
Member for Oatley and Shadow Minister for South Western Sydney Mark Coure said the reports were deeply concerning for local families who rely on Canterbury Hospital.
"This also matters to families in my electorate, who are sometimes treated at Canterbury Hospital when St George Hospital is at capacity. We need answers about whether any local residents have been affected," Mr Coure said.
"Our doctors and nurses work hard under enormous pressure. They need reliable systems and proper administrative support to ensure patients receive timely treatment."
"Patients deserve more than an apology. They deserve answers, accountability and confidence that their referral will be received and acted on."
