Non-urgent elective surgery will be temporarily suspended at Wollongong Private Hospital and Shellharbour Private Hospital as staff are redeployed to address the COVID-19 outbreak.
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All emergency surgery and urgent elective surgery will continue, but from Monday, August 23, non-urgent elective surgeries will be postponed.
The Illawarra hospitals are among 29 affected private hospitals across Greater Sydney and some regional areas, as they send staff to support the vaccination effort and workforce demands in the NSW public health system.
Affected patients will be contacted and are advised to seek medical advice if their condition changes, so they can be reviewed and, if necessary, recategorised.
Private hospitals have also been performing additional elective surgery for patients in the public health system who had their non-urgent operations postponed last year.
"NSW Health acknowledges the critical importance of private hospitals in delivering timely and high-quality care for our communities and we thank them for their ongoing partnership in responding to the current pandemic," the department said in a statement.
The Commonwealth Department of Health has agreed to the temporary suspension of non-urgent elective surgery in order to free up staff.
There are 462 people with COVID-19 in hospital in NSW, aged from their teens to their 80s.
Seventy-seven people are in intensive care and 25 people need ventilation.
Health authorities continue to stress the importance of vaccination in ending the current crisis.
To date, more than 5.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in NSW and Premier Gladys Berejiklian has set a target of six million by the end of the month.
When at least 70 per cent of people are fully vaccinated, the premier says life will be "freer".
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
