The Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) discovered the inbox held about 3,400 emails, including 16 patient referrals. Four of those patients were classified as Category One, meaning surgery is recommended within 30 days. Twelve were classed as Category Two, meaning surgery is recommended within 90 days.
SLHD chief executive Deborah Willcox said the review would examine each patient's situation separately and work through the issues carefully. An SLHD spokesperson said treating surgeons had been contacted to ensure each patient received an appropriate clinical review and prioritisation, and that admission dates had been urgently allocated to prevent further delays. The spokesperson added that measures would include clearer staff accountabilities, strengthened governance arrangements, enhanced monitoring processes and increased executive oversight of admissions workflows.
NSW president of the Australian Medical Association Fred Betros said the delay posed a significant risk to the health of Category One patients. "They're people who could have, or do have cancers, they're people who have heart disease and they need a bypass," he said. "So those patients who have breached their waiting times, some of them will be okay, but the problem is, some won't."
Shadow Minister for South-west Sydney Mark Coure called the error unacceptable and demanded a full and independent review with findings made public. He said the health minister needed to explain how this happened, why it was not picked up sooner, and whether other hospitals are in the same position. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has been contacted for comment. The incident comes as NSW Health is reportedly offering voluntary redundancies to non-frontline staff across the state as part of a restructure.