Situation

Tektology were commissioned by a local health network in Australia that had seen rising numbers of patients on the elective surgery waiting list, and importantly an increasing number of patients exceeding the target waiting times for their category. The Department of Health requested a plan to address this at the end of 2020, but after some initial improvement in early 2021, the waiting list volumes and overdue case numbers increased to new heights through Q2 despite efforts by the organisation to resolve the situation.

Solution 

Tektology were engaged to conduct a rapid review of the elective surgery waitlist recovery program, to identify the root cause if possible and to make recommendations for a rapid improvement in the situation.  Our team of senior healthcare experts were able to quickly review and analysis the client and build out a series of tangible recommendations that were put forward to the CEO. 

Outcome

The project deliverable was a brief report for the CEO and Executive Team summarising the review findings and providing recommendations. As a result of our work, we were able to pinpoint the cause, and in so doing, demonstrate that existing efforts to resolve the problem were focused in the wrong area. Our report went further, providing clear modelling of the impact of the recommendations on overdue numbers over the remainder of 2021.

This piece of work directly translated into a new program of work, funding, resourcing and milestones for improvement and has led to actual results on the ground for the service, its patients, and its stakeholders such as its board and the Minister for Health. 

Following our work, the CEO appointed a new recovery program director, charged with delivering our recommendations. Armed with a new plan, the organisation was successful in securing funds to address some of the capacity shortfall to further accelerate progress to zero overdue cases.