ACC Elective Surgery Review Report

May 13, 2011

MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE USE

ACC Elective Surgery Review Report May 2011

The New Zealand Private Surgical Hosptials Association (NZPSHA) welcomes today’s release of ACC’s Review of Elective Surgery report. The NZPSHA is pleased to have been involved as one of the stakeholder groups consulted in the review, as elective surgery is the core business of NZPSHA members who between them perform in excess of 150,00 surgical procedures per annum.

Terry Moore, President of NZPSHA states “it is pleasing to see that ACC acknowledges the need for a more efficient claims approval process and that the time taken to approve or decline recommendations for surgery has been too long”. Mr Moore stated that “ACC have undertaken an extensive review and are to be congratulated for addressing the issues that increasing numbers of hospitals, doctors and patients had been highlighting to them”.

The NZPSHA had been concerned that the decline rate for surgical requests had risen from 11% in 07/08 to 22% in 09/10. This together with the delays in decisions was impacting negatively on the lives and wellbeing of accident victims, with increasing numbers of ACC patients being forced into time consuming and costly reviews and appeals. The fact that 44% of surgical declines were subsequently quashed at review justified the focus this review has provided.

NZPSHA looks forward to working with ACC in 2011 to implement the recommended actions from the report.

The NZPSHA promotes excellence in healthcare and will continue to engage with ACC to achieve this for all New Zealanders.

Media Release Ends

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