One Bendigo facility has joined health services around the state forced to scrap some elective surgery as the state continues to struggle through the winter months.
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Staff availability has proven to be one of the "ongoing challenges" for many hospitals as the health system battles COVID-19, flu and other diseases.
Bendigo Health has confirmed it has needed to reduce the amount of some elective surgery procedures in response to high bed demand and staff on leave with respiratory illnesses.
"We review staffing and capacity on a daily basis and direct resources to areas of highest need, meaning on some days some non-urgent surgeries are cancelled," chief operating officer David Rosaia said.
"We understand this is frustrating for patients and apologise to anyone who is impacted."
There are currently 35 COVID positive patients at Bendigo Health.
St John of God Bendigo has said there were currently no plans to reduce elective surgery.
Other major centres such as Ballarat are also feeling the pinch as they brace themselves for what could come next.
Grampians Health chief operating officer hospitals Ben Kelly said while elective surgery was still going ahead, it was being closely managed.
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"For elective surgery, as with all our services, staff availability is an ongoing challenge that we're managing on a day-to-day basis. In addition to this, there may be instances where elective surgery is postponed due to an emergency need," Mr Kelly said.
"The balance between elective surgery, emergency surgery and our bed capacity is something we are continuing to manage based on demand.
"We're also conscious that any surges of COVID-19 in our community may delay our plans or alter our capacity for elective surgery."
On Thursday, the Alfred foreshadowed it would begin deferring elective surgery and restrict outpatient bookings in coming days.
In a leaked letter to staff, the Alfred's chief executive Andrew Way said it was time for sensible and practical action amid surging cases of the Omicron BA.4 and 5 subvariants.
"This means elective surgery will, again, be deferred. It means that we will, again, limit outpatient appointments," Mr Way said.
In a statement, Alfred Health confirmed the changes but said clinically urgent category one procedures would proceed as planned.
About 1900 Victorian health workers were off work sick with COVID-19 and more were struck down by cold or flu, acting premier Jacinta Allan said. But she said health officials and hospitals had told the state government they could manage this stage of the pandemic at a local level.
"The hospitals are best placed to make those really difficult decisions about the delivery of local services," she said.
Victoria's elective surgery waiting list blew out to almost 90,000 by the end of March after category two and three procedures were suspended in early January as the state braced for a forecast 2500 COVID-19 hospital patients.
with AAP
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