A significant number of health and medical providers have seen their services negatively impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, including public hospitals in NSW and the ACT. Does this affect surgical abortions in NSW?Unlike many of these, Gynaecology Centres Australia (GCA) continues to be open and operating as normal. As an essential service, our doctors have consistently and continuously delivered the highest standard of care to our patients, when and how they require us to do so. For women seeking surgical abortions in NSW and the ACT, we continue to provide the highest quality of compassionate care in a confidential, world-class clinical setting.
Coronavirus – Its Effect on Elective Surgery
The effects of COVID-19 have been far-reaching in public health. To release resources in anticipation of a coronavirus spike, all non-urgent elective surgery in public hospitals was suspended from March 25th, 2020. This resulted in a 40% drop in elective surgeries performed in NSW public hospitals between April and June, compared with the same period in 2019. Consequently, almost 17,000 patients were added to the existing waiting list – an increase of 20% compared with a year ago, and the largest jump in more than ten years.
Despite the performance of non-urgent surgery resuming incrementally from April 27th, with NSW hospitals operating as normal since July 1, the waiting list for elective surgery in public hospitals in NSW has erupted to more than 100,000 patients.
Surgeons in public hospitals are currently working at 100% capacity in an attempt to clear this backlog. The backlog is worst in rural areas with fewer staff and resources. Yet, as of mid-September, NSW Health has not considered cancelling the usual Christmas period surgical shutdown – despite appeals by the medical profession.
What is the Impact on Surgical Abortions in NSW?
This waiting list backlog has far-reaching implications for women seeking an abortion. The provision of “elective” surgery will be offered on a triage basis, with the urgency of treatment determined case-by-case. For example, the aim is to admit those patients deemed “semi-urgent” (e.g. for cataract removal or hernia repair) for surgery within three months; “non-urgent” cases (like knee and hip replacements) to be operated on within a year.
Abortion is a time-sensitive procedure and must be promptly provided for the best physical, mental, and emotional outcome for the patient. In all likelihood, however, public hospitals will very likely not give priority to surgical abortion patients – placing these women in limbo at a time when they can not afford to wait. We have witnessed this scenario already. Additionally, doctors performing surgical abortions in public hospitals frequently do not have the specialist training and level of experience required for this most sensitive of procedures.
Public hospitals will very likely not offer medical abortions, however, this has its own implications and will depend on the patient load and availability of staff willing to provide this service. Medical abortion is also an option suitable only for a small volume of women seeking an abortion and is not the gold standard of care that all women deserve.
Visit Gynaecology Centres Australia for Prompt Surgical Abortion
All Gynaecology Centres Australia (GCA) Clinics are OPEN NOW as an ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
We have a long history of providing gold standard surgical abortion services (and other women’s health services) to patients throughout NSW and the ACT. Our doctors have the expert surgical training supported by many years of practical experience performing this specialized procedure. With GCA, there is no need to go to a hospital for your surgical abortion.
GCA is a Category 1 provider and we are committed to continued excellence and providing our patients with the unparalleled level of service they deserve. We are here when you need us to provide compassionate, confidential care.
We have implemented enhanced infection control practices with additional precautions throughout our clinics during the COVID-19 health crisis.
For a confidential discussion to talk through your options, please call us on (02) 9585 9599. You may also contact us today via our website here.