“A model was proposed and rejected by hospital CEOs due to the complexity of implementing a tiered system with elective surgery rates pegged to daily case numbers and frequent fluctuations,” a chief executive from a different private hospital told doctors by email.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: “We understand how difficult it is for those waiting for surgery, and we will work hard to address elective surgery wait lists as soon as it’s safe to do so – but importantly all category 1 surgeries are continuing.”

The NSW government announced on Tuesday that non-urgent elective operations requiring an overnight stay would resume at 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the state’s private hospitals as well as regional public hospitals from next week.

Mr Foley, who apologised for the disruption the ban had caused and confirmed consultations were under way, said Victoria was about two weeks behind the outbreak in NSW.

“Every day, including today, we consult with both private hospitals and the public sector,” he said.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy had been calling on the government to immediately lift the ban on elective surgery after Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton confirmed his belief COVID-19 hospitalisations would not climb to previous predictions of 2500.

“Too many Victorians are languishing on wait lists in pain and their health is deteriorating as they wait for vital surgery. This ban on critical surgeries must be lifted today,” Mr Guy said.

The state reached a high of about 1200 hospitalisations last month. There were 851 COVID patients in Victorian hospitals on Tuesday.

Category 2 surgery covers procedures that need to take place within 90 days for conditions that can cause significant pain or disability but are unlikely to escalate to an emergency, such as standard heart valve replacement. Category 3 surgery includes procedures such as hysterectomies and hip and knee replacements.

The Productivity Commission, in its annual Report on Government Services detailed in The Age, found 31.6 per cent of Victorians in the queue for elective surgery faced “extended waits” last year. That was up from 27.4 per cent in 2019-20 and from just 12.4 per cent the year before that.

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons president Dr Sally Langley said “devastating” delays could worsen a patient’s prognosis and elective surgery was not optional.

“It is essential surgery. It is surgery to address often life-threatening conditions and conditions that prevent patients from living a normal life because of severe pain or dysfunction,” she said in a statement.

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Surgeon and Australian Medical Association Victoria board member Dr Jill Tomlinson said the association was calling for nuanced plans to allow elective surgery to begin immediately, considering the capacity of each provider.

The Productivity Commission report also found Victoria spent less per person on its public hospitals than any other state or territory. Mr Foley said the state poured more cash into community and home care, with “record amounts” of investment.

“When you look at the totality of health investment in Victoria, we have a world-class system, always capable of doing more, which is why this government is investing record levels in services, people and infrastructure.”

He said discussions on when the statewide code brown could be lifted were also continuing, and the declaration would be withdrawn as soon as possible.

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