Australia’s top doctors say the country’s hospitals are “going backwards” as more patients wait longer for elective surgery and emergency department care. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data released on Wednesday shows more people being added to surgery wait lists than receiving surgery. More also came through the doors of the country’s emergency departments in 2018-19 but only 71 per cent were seen on time due to increased ED waiting times. Australian Medical Association president Dr Tony Bartone said Australia was once again seeing its public hospitals go backwards. He said the entire health system, including the private sector, needed urgent reform. “Yet our governments continue to do the same thing to help our public hospitals: absolutely nothing,” Dr Bartone said. “We need leadership. We need action. We need funding. And we need it now.” Dr Bartone pointed to data showing it took four hours to treat every three in 10 emergency department patients. […]