From Monday 7th February non-urgent elective surgery requiring an overnight stay will return to 75 per cent capacity in private hospitals, and up to 75 percent of pre pandemic activity levels at public hospitals in regional and rural NSW where they are able to do so.
The temporary suspension of non-urgent elective surgery requiring an overnight stay in both public and private hospitals from 10th January was necessary to ensure there was sufficient staffing and hospital bed capacity in NSW to meet the extra demands caused by the Omicron wave of COVID-19.
Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said people in regional NSW will be pleased to see a resumption in non-urgent elective surgery as we return to a normal operating environment.
“It’s been a challenging time, but our doctors and nurses and support staff have worked tirelessly in our regional hospitals to support people in need of urgent care,” Mrs Taylor said.
The NSW Government provided an extra $80 million as part of the 2021-22 NSW Budget.
The NSW Government has committed more than $4 billion to the NSW health system since the COVID pandemic began in March 2020.