FAITH O'Brien burst into tears this week when a surgeon [in Victoria, Australia] told her she would have to wait two years for surgery to remove a prolapsed disc pressing on a nerve in her spine.
The 36-year-old mother of four has been in constant pain since she fell down a flight of stairs at home in June 2011, and waited 14 months to see a specialist. After a brief appointment last November when she was referred for a MRI scan, O'Brien waited another 10 weeks for a follow-up appointment.
She was told she needed surgery to remove the prolapsed disc, but could expect to wait a minimum two years for the one-hour procedure. ''I burst out crying. [The surgeon] said 'don't blame me, blame your government for funding cuts','' she said. She is among thousands of patients set to face longer waits for elective surgery following a $107 million cut to federal funding for Victorian hospitals this financial year. The state government says it cannot make up the shortfall. Read more
[Thanks BJS]
The 36-year-old mother of four has been in constant pain since she fell down a flight of stairs at home in June 2011, and waited 14 months to see a specialist. After a brief appointment last November when she was referred for a MRI scan, O'Brien waited another 10 weeks for a follow-up appointment.
She was told she needed surgery to remove the prolapsed disc, but could expect to wait a minimum two years for the one-hour procedure. ''I burst out crying. [The surgeon] said 'don't blame me, blame your government for funding cuts','' she said. She is among thousands of patients set to face longer waits for elective surgery following a $107 million cut to federal funding for Victorian hospitals this financial year. The state government says it cannot make up the shortfall. Read more
[Thanks BJS]
