Plan to put people into surgery sooner

Key points

• Thousands of Victorians waiting months for surgery could be treated sooner under a $1.27 billion plan called SurgerySooner, announced by the Nationals and Liberals. The plan would use existing private hospital capacity to deliver up to 25,000 additional surgeries each year and help halve the state's surgery waitlist.
• Nationals MP Melina Bath said nearly 70,000 Victorians were waiting for elective surgery, with thousands in Category 2 and 3 having exceeded recommended waiting times.
• Eligible public patients would be offered surgery at participating private hospitals at no cost, keeping their public patient status.