SURGICAL ROBOT AND MORE OPERATING THEATRES ON THE WAY

A surgical ‘robot’ and four extra operating theatres form the latest State Government initiative to tackle elective surgery lists, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Mr Robertson told a Parliamentary Estimates Committee today the Bligh Government was bolstering the State’s largest hospital.

“The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital will become the first public hospital in Australia to train doctors in robotic surgery using the $3.5 million ‘Da Vinci Surgical Robot’.

“It will specialise in urology cases, particularly serious prostate cancers.

“The RBWH will also open two additional theatres in 2008-09, performing 700 extra surgical operations a year.

“The new robot is cutting edge technology that will see the RBWH treating urology patients more quickly, which will mean shorter stays in hospital for patients,” Mr Robertson said.

“Queensland Health currently performs around 250 radical prostatectomies across the state every year.

“With our urologists receiving this advanced robotic assistance, we hope to achieve that many alone out of the Royal Brisbane and subsequently reduce urology waiting lists,” Mr Robertson said.

“The increased workload at the RBWH will free up surgical capacity in other hospitals.

“The robot provides unrivalled precision during an operation and because it’s minimally invasive, it could potentially cut the average post-operative length of stay from six days to just 24 hours for urology patients.

The equipment should arrive later this year and with suitable staff training should begin treating patients early next year.

Mr Robertson said the RBWH intended to become an Australasian “Centre of Excellence” for robotic surgery.

Mr Robertson said the robot would help attract urologists to the public system with one specialist trained in surgical robotic techniques in the United States already indicating a willingness to return to Queensland to train others.

“This will increase the Royal Brisbane’s international status for technology and training while establishing a State-wide service for robotic prostatectomy,” he said.

“But it also offers significant opportunities in other surgical sub-specialities, with potentially wide ranging applications in Queensland.

“The Centre of Excellence will lead research development into robotic surgery, evaluating new opportunities for use of this technology.

In addition, the Bligh Government continues to strengthen its commitment to Queensland patients by providing $13 million in 2008-09 to open four new operating theatres in South East Queensland.

“An additional $6 million in ongoing funding is being provided from 2008-09 to allow the RBWH to open two new operating theatres, enabling an additional 700 surgical cases per year,” Mr Robertson said.

“The theatres are built but require $5.1 million in fit-out works to be undertaken which will be sourced from Queensland’s share of the Commonwealth Government’s Stage 2 elective surgery funding.

“They should be ready for use early in 2009.

“At Nambour, $2.8 million in ongoing funding is being provided for the hospital’s sixth operating theatre allowing an additional 600 cases a year.

“The extra workload will consist of mainly short stay patients who will be accommodated in the new 23-hour unit due to open later this month (July).

“Capital funding of $580,000 – also from Commonwealth funding – has been provided to commission the extra theatre and includes modifications to accommodate the provision of urology laser surgery.

“Similarly, at Ipswich, $4.2 million ongoing funding will be provided for a sixth operating theatre.

“This will provide an additional five dedicated emergency and five elective surgery operating lists per week, including one urology, one general surgery, one Ear, Nose and Throat and two orthopaedics lists.

“The extra elective surgery lists at Ipswich will result in an additional 500 procedures per year."

Mr Robertson said the latest projects would further boost surgical capacity in the public system and complement other measures such as the $10.6 million Surgery Connect program and the leasing of the private surgery centre on the Gold Coast.

MEDIA: Kate Van Poelgeest on 0458 449 267