ELECTIVE surgery requiring up to 72 hours hospital care resumes at Modbury Hospital this week as the State Government continues to roll-back aspects of Labor’s Transforming Health program.

Modbury was wound down to providing only elective same-day surgery in the controversial overhaul of the health system.

Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade said resumption of multi-day stay elective surgery would be followed by a High Dependency Unit at Modbury as promised in the lead up to the election.

He said the multi-day stay would allow patients in the region to receive care closer to home while also driving down elective surgery wait times.

Initially the 72-hour stay surgeries will include orthopaedic and general surgical procedures.

“Modbury lost its multi-day surgery capability under the previous Labor Government’s failed Transforming Health policy,” Mr Wade said.

“The Marshall Liberal Government is committed to winding back Transforming Health’s damaging downgrades to Modbury Hospital, Noarlunga Hospital and the Repat.

“In the first phase, flex beds have been made available for multi-day surgery patients and already this week three additional patients have had successful procedures at Modbury Hospital.

“We anticipate a reduction in elective surgery wait times because surgeries will be able to be performed at two sites within the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network — Modbury Hospital and the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

“This will reduce bed pressures on the Lyell McEwin Hospital and allow many patients from the north eastern suburbs to have their surgery and post-operative care closer to home.”

Under Transforming Health changes to Modbury Hospital in 2016, patients who required more than 23-hours post-operative care needed to have their procedure at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

Head of Orthopaedics, Professor Ted Mah, said a variety of steps are being taken to reduce the wait for patients on elective surgery waitlists in the northern Adelaide region.

“By having suitable elective surgery patients able to have their procedure and post-operative care at Modbury Hospital, we can optimise the use of existing operating theatres and clinical facilities,” Prof Mah said.

“With these surgeries now able to be performed at both the Lyell McEwin Hospital and Modbury Hospital, the aim is to enable patients to be seen and treated quicker across the network.”