The Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) are urging the government to immediately address the “growing and increasingly critical” backlog of elective surgeries, pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The call comes as the new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data shows Australia are waiting longer than ever for elective surgery across a range of categories and conditions. AMA and RACS released a statement on Feb. 1 stating that whilst the two organisations support the postponement of some elective surgeries to prevent the COVID-19 surge within hospitals, “this approach is increasingly unsustainable.” “An urgent plan is needed to restore reasonable and acceptable access to elective surgery, as well as a long-term funding arrangement to ensure this backlog is cleared,” the statement read. Elective surgeries are operations that can be scheduled in advance for non-life-threatening conditions; however, in some cases, they may be …