Westmead, Sydney's most prominent hospital has been accused of making patients wait for 17 months for surgeries related to brain and spinal cord by the New South Wales Opposition.

Jillian Skinner, Spokeswoman of the Opposition said that 200 or more patients have been made to wait for neurosurgery at Westmead Hospital while only 10% received dates for surgery.

Citing the reason for this delay, Ms Skinner told that the neurosurgeons are agitated on the issue of less time given to them to operate. She said,

"The doctors know that this is because there are too few beds in the wards. This is a hospital like many others that shuts down operating theatres over the long summer school holidays and Easter school holidays.

The answer's simple: open up the theatres, open up the beds, let doctors get in and treat their patients".

On other hand the Professor Steven Boyages, Chief Executive of the Western Sydney Area Health Service blamed staff shortage for the lengthy delay and assured that the problem will be solved soon, as plans are being sketched to cope up with the problem.

He said, "I'm aware that we do have a few cases that have exceeded the acceptable benchmark. I would apologise to those individual cases.

These are unusual circumstances at this point in time. I can reassure them that we are committed to addressing the problem as quickly as possible".