Nearly 500-people who were medically-ready to leave WA hospitals and waiting for NDIS or aged care services, have spent an extra 40 000 days in hospital. 

The data revealed in the Auditor General’s overview found that WA Health does not have an effective system for managing long stay patients.

Auditor General Caroline Spencer told Oly Peterson on Perth Live that hospitals don’t have good systems in place to care for those waiting for NDIS and aged care.

“They’re not effectively managing these patients because they don’t actually know at any point in time, how many of these patients who’ve been assessed as medically fit to leave are in their hospitals,” Ms. Spencer said.

“They don’t have a system-wide view…”

“They have data on admissions and data on discharge,” she said.

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The audit found WA Health doesn’t have robust data, which would allow for successfully managing long-stay patients. It also highlighted the negative impacts that overstaying necessary hospital time can have on patients and staff.