By Lily Nothling
Copyright abc
Judi Harman lives in constant pain.
After 36 years as a house cleaner, the once-active Canberra grandmother needs a total knee replacement.
“I can hardly get out of bed,” the 71-year-old said.
“I can only lie flat on my back to sleep — any other position is very painful.”
Ms Harman was referred to the Canberra Hospital and was deemed a category two patient in February.
It means she should have received surgery within 90 days.
But then she received a letter advising that her doctor and the head of orthopaedic surgery, Professor Paul Smith, had resigned from Canberra Health Services.
He was one of three orthopaedic surgeons who resigned back-to-back earlier this year, citing operational concerns at the hospital.
It has left patients like Ms Harman in limbo.
“I just want to be able to have a life again,” she said.
“There must be plenty more like me. They just need new surgeons.”
Waitlist blowouts
The latest data from Canberra Health Services shows there are 451 category two patients on the waitlist for orthopaedic surgery, the most by far for any surgical specialty.
Of those, 53 per cent have failed to be seen within the clinically recommended timeframe.
Within category three, where patients should undergo surgery within a year, 37 per cent are overdue for treatment.
Canberra Health Services chief operating officer Katie McKenzie apologised to those patients stuck on the waitlist.
“It impacts them, it impacts their families, it impacts their friends, and we’re really committed to reducing waiting times where we can because we do acknowledge this impact,” Ms McKenzie said.
She said the orthopaedic surgery waitlist had remained stable over the past year, despite staff losses.
The health service has just finalised its recruitment for a new head of orthopaedic surgery, replacing Professor Smith.
Ms McKenzie said that person would help the health service determine how many more orthopaedic surgeons were needed.
‘Something’s got to be done’
Professor Smith said wait times for joint replacement were already “way too long” when he was still at the hospital.
“The reason that waiting lists are so long is our government, in its great wisdom, is deciding to spend money on other things.”
Judi Harman has been told her surgery will eventually take place at Calvary John James Hospital, where she will be treated as a public patient.
Ms Harman misses going for walks and playing with her grandchildren, and recently had to skip a funeral and a birthday party because she knew her knee could not handle it.
“I know that doctors are doing all they can, but something’s got to be done,” she said.