The latest Bureau of Health Information quarterly report, which covers a period of extreme rainfall and widespread flooding in March 2021 - as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic - shows there was a high demand for health services across Hunter New England.

It reveals that between January and March, 2021, there were 78.9 per cent of elective surgeries performed on time at the John Hunter Hospital, down almost 20 per cent from the same time last year.

In the October-to-December quarter in 2019, the hospital's percentage of surgeries performed on time was at 99 per cent. The data shows a sharp drop off after the April-to-June 2020 quarter, when all but emergency surgeries had been suspended until late April due to COVID-19.

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Hunter New England chief Michael DiRienzo said the district had worked hard to get more surgeries completed following the flow-on effect from National Cabinet's decision to postpone elective surgeries in March 2020.

"Last year, the health system experienced significant disruption, however things have not slowed down in 2021 as we continue to work to get back to our pre-COVID-19 position," Mr DiRienzo said. "I am pleased to report that we have seen a significant increase in the number of elective surgery procedures performed during the January to March 2021 period."

Across NSW, elective surgeries were performed at "historically high" numbers between January to March, as work continued to clear the backlog. There were 2284 elective surgeries performed at the John Hunter Hospital, up 9.5 per cent since the same time last year. The number of patients "waiting longer than recommended" for surgery at John Hunter Hospital dropped from 318 in the October-to-December 2020 quarter, to 175. More than 22,200 patients attended the John Hunter Hospital's emergency department in the quarter - up 3.6 per cent from the same time last year, but down from the October-to-December period in 2020. About 73 per cent of patients at the hospital started treatment on time.

Hunter ambulance services also experienced one of the busiest quarters in five years. The report showed the number of ambulance responses in Port Stephens rose by 20 per cent in the quarter compared to the same time last year and the highest it had been since the April-to-July quarter in 2017.

In Newcastle, ambulance responses were up by 9 per cent, where there were 195 of the highest priority, life threatening cases - up 26.6 per cent.

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