Urgent surgeries delayed at southwest Sydney’s Canterbury Hospital after 3000 hospital emails unread

Key points

• Sixteen patients at Canterbury Hospital in southwest Sydney have had surgeries delayed after more than 3000 emails sat unread in an unmonitored inbox. An urgent review found four patients with urgent conditions and 12 with semi-urgent conditions were not given surgery dates within recommended timeframes.
• The Sydney Local Health District has apologised and says admission dates have now been allocated. Australian Medical Association NSW president Fred Betros called the situation extremely concerning and criticised funding for the health workforce.
• NSW opposition health spokesperson Sarah Mitchell described it as a basic failure with potentially serious consequences.