Te Whatu Ora is aiming to drastically reduce surgery waitlists for orthopaedic patients, by offering them physiotherapy instead.
A trial across Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Waikato, Wellington and Northland has indicated surgery wait times can be reduced by 75 per cent.
Te Whatu Ora says patients who are waiting for pre-surgery assessments for a range of conditions involving hips, knees and spines, are now being offered preliminary physio appointments in their communities.
In some cases, patients are being told physiotherapy is enough - and they're removed from the 'suitable for surgery' waiting list.
The programme has since been picked up in other regions and work is underway to roll it out nationwide later next year. Te Whatu Ora planned care taskforce chair Andrew Connolly speaks to Kathryn Ryan.
1 comment
You have to be joking
Posted on 21-12-2023 07:27 | By The Sage
Offering someone a physiotherapy appointment when they need an orthopaedic surgeon is a step too far. It is like offering someone lying on the side of the road , after being involved in a car accident, a naturopath. The world has gone nuts. It is quite obvious these Bureaucrats are simply trying to make their numbers look good by taking people off the list.
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