Private hospitals should be allowed to resume routine care, including procedures that detect cancers, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says, or it fears the public health impact could be greater than the toll from coronavirus.

Key points: Australian Medical Association wants routine health care to resume in private hospitals while public hospitals remain on standby for COVID-19

Australian Medical Association wants routine health care to resume in private hospitals while public hospitals remain on standby for COVID-19 SA has indicated it could resume elective surgery as part of recovery plan

SA has indicated it could resume elective surgery as part of recovery plan Australian Cancer Council says short delay in screening unlikely to impact health outcomes

All elective surgeries and procedures were cancelled as the health system prepared for the impact of COVID-19 by freeing up hospital beds, medical staff and personal protection equipment.

That means people can no longer have colonoscopies and endoscopies, which detect gastrointestinal diseases including bowel cancer in addition to the cancellation of breast screening and orthopaedic surgery, including hip replacements.

AMA vice president, Chris Zappala, said the longer routine care was cancelled, the greater the cost in terms of sickness and mortality.

"There's a large amount of everyday disease out there … we run a greater risk that curable disease becomes incurable and the backlog unmanageable," Dr Zappala said.

South Australia indicated that it could ease restrictions on elective surgery as part of its recovery plan.

SA's chief public health officer, Nicola Spurrier, said many people on waiting lists for elective surgery were experiencing significant pain and required their operations.

'Keep public hospitals for COVID-19'

The AMA wants routine care to resume in private hospitals and practices while public hospitals remain on standby for an influx of COVID-19 cases.

"There is considerable spare capacity within the public hospital system right now … and no-one is suggesting for a second that that should be taken away," Dr Zappala said.

The decision to suspend elective surgery has left people living with disease and pain unable to get treatment. ( ABC News )

But he said allowing private hospitals to resume routine care was critical as part of a staged response.

"There is scope within the private system to start to loosen the restrictions straight away," Dr Zappala said.

"There is no point in leaving the private system in paralysis as well.

"There's very little work happening and it means the governments will have to spend more money to prop up these systems."

The AMA vice president said the longer this takes, the more likely that people will become seriously unwell or die from undiagnosed or untreated illness.

"The most worrying concern we have is, the longer the delays in screening routine care continue, the COVID-negative sickness and mortality will be much higher than the COVID-related sickness and mortality than we're seeing," Dr Zappala said.

"To us this just seems ridiculous when we have idle capacity in the private system ready to take up the slack."

He said that existing relationships allowed public patients to be treated in private hospitals.

'Cancer follow-ups should continue'

Cancer Council Australia chief executive, Sanchia Aranda, said the decision to suspend breast screening across the country was taken to address the immediate needs of the pandemic.

"As we understand it, the bowel and cervical screening programs are continuing, though we recognise this that this may change," Professor Aranda said.

"For most people, a short delay to your regular screening is unlikely to impact the long-term outcomes if you do not have symptoms."

A short delay in cancer screening is unlikely to impact on the health of Australians, according to Cancer Council Australia. ( ABC Riverland: Catherine Heuzenroeder )

But for those in remission from a previous cancer diagnosis, Professor Aranda said regular check-ups might change, and urged people in that position to contact their GP or treating team.

"Cancer is a classified as category 1 urgent in the healthcare system, so any changes are designed to ensure the best possible outcomes," she said.

"Where possible, appointments for assessment, monitoring and follow up are being done by telehealth.

"Continuing to follow the government's advice for physical distancing measures will be crucial to flattening the curve and reducing the burden on Australia's health care system so it can return to normal as soon as possible."

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'We know they are still out there'

Dr Zappala, who is a respiratory physician, said his practice would diagnose several lung cancers every week on average.

"Now, they've not gone away — they are still out there somewhere, so we need to get patients back in saying 'hey listen, we've got a cough, we've got this unusual symptom', because a portion of those will need more urgent care," he said.

"There is screening work that can happen immediately, work that is important for a quality of life, like people waiting on joint replacements, who have terrible pain and poor mobility.

"I don't think we should close our doors to people who need routine care … because a portion of those will have significant disease."