In the wake of reports that the Baillieu government will slash funding for elective surgery for Victorian hospitals, Albury Wodonga Health clinical services director Catherine O’Connell said elective surgery cases were now included on one waiting list.

There are almost 9500 fewer operations planned across Victoria for the 2011-12 financial year.

Elective surgery targets for Albury Wodonga Health are not included in the service’s statement of priorities agreement with the Victorian Department of Health.

Ms O’Connell said this was because Albury Wodonga Health had brought together and consolidated separate waiting lists for the two hospitals in October under the government’s “first on, first off policy”.

Reporting to the Victorian Department of Health would be refined over the eight months to July with elective surgery to be targeted by speciality, she said.

“We have a waiting list, as of the end of December, of 3700 patients, but that includes a group of 900 patients who require endoscopy and minor day procedures,” Ms O’Connell said.

“An enhancement of our funding for elective surgery would be welcome and depending upon the year, there are opportunities for both states to provide an amount of money for that.

“We will be part of any enhancement funding application that is made available to us.”

The statement of priorities, which outlines the funding and performance targets negotiated between Albury Wodonga Health and the Victorian government, will see the Border hospitals receive $141,785,000 in government funding for 2011-12, an increase of $7.2 million on what the service received in 2010-11.

However, the service expects to treat hundreds more acute and sub-acute inpatients during the 12 months, with a forecast deficit of $5 million.

Labor’s shadow minister for rural and regional development Jacinta Allan said the latest data showed an average 7 per cent cut to the number of elective surgeries performed in the major regional hospitals, higher than the 6 per cent reduction for Melbourne hospitals.