Thousands of Unread Emails Delay Surgeries at Sydney Hospital

Canterbury Hospital in southwest Sydney experienced significant delays in elective surgeries for at least 16 patients due to thousands of unread emails. An urgent review revealed that four patients requiring urgent procedures and 12 with semi-urgent conditions did not receive surgery within clinically recommended timeframes.

The affected referrals were missed because emails remained unread in an inbox that was not actively monitored.

Sydney Local Health District, which oversees Canterbury Hospital, issued an apology on Sunday, stating that patient safety and wellbeing are top priorities. A spokesperson confirmed that admission dates have been urgently allocated to the affected patients and their treating surgeons have been contacted.

Fred Betros, president of the Australian Medical Association NSW branch and a practicing surgeon, expressed concern over the incident, emphasizing the critical importance of timely treatment for patient outcomes. He noted that category-one cases, which require surgery within 30 days, can involve conditions like malignant tumors or the need for coronary artery bypass grafts. Procedures in the next tier are recommended within 90 days.

Betros also criticized the government for insufficient funding to address the strain on the health workforce, highlighting the need for both more doctors and adequate support staff.

NSW opposition health spokesperson Sarah Mitchell called the situation a basic failure with potentially serious consequences. She urged for assurance that referral processes are being properly managed across the entire hospital system and that similar failures are not occurring elsewhere.

The state Labor government has committed $400 million to redevelop Canterbury Hospital. Statewide, 85.6 percent of elective surgeries were performed on time in the June quarter, an increase of 8.8 percentage points compared to the same period in 2025.