COVID-19 wave strains Melbourne hospitals

Victoria's hospital system will continue to see increased pressure from COVID-19 for weeks to come.

Elective surgeries have been deferred at some of Melbourne's largest hospitals as staff shortages put pressure on already busy services.

Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas acknowledged staff furloughs were the most likely reason for surgery delays.

Ms Thomas said she has received a briefing from the health department since being re-elected and while the current COVID-19 wave may have peaked, the flow-on effects will continue.

"Our latest data tells us that we've got around 550 cases in hospital at the moment," she told reporters in Clayton on Wednesday.

"The good news on COVID is that the proportion of cases requiring hospitalisation has dramatically reduced in relation to the number of infections. The advice that I have is that we are plateauing.

"But what we know from previous waves is that ... there's a lag in hospitalisation from the peak of infection.

The next two weeks will continue to be challenging for healthcare workers and all Victorians, Ms Thomas said.

About 550 COVID-19 cases are currently in hospital, she said.

The Alfred has paused elective surgeries for a week because a high number of key clinical staff are off sick due to COVID-19.

AAP has been told it's the hospital's highest level of staff sick leave since early 2022.

But all emergency surgery at The Alfred is continuing, with the hospital responding to an increase in trauma cases. 

"We apologise to all patients affected by this difficult situation," a spokesperson for The Alfred told AAP in a statement, adding that the decision was not taken lightly.

"We believe we are at the peak of this wave's impact within our health service, and efforts are underway to reschedule impacted patients."

The Royal Melbourne Hospital also confirmed on Wednesday that some elective surgery has been postponed, although planned category one and urgent category two surgeries will still go ahead. 

The hospital has cited increased demand and staff illness as reasons for the changes.

"Unfortunately, due to these impacts, some patients may have their surgeries deferred," a spokesperson told AAP in a statement.

"We are reviewing this on a daily basis and thank Victorians for their patience and support."

Ms Thomas said the government was implementing its long-term plan to boost numbers in the healthcare workforce. 

She urged Victorians to take their own steps to reduce the current strain on hospitals, including keeping up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and staying home when sick.

The minister on Wednesday announced The Alfred was one of 12 health services receiving a share of $25 million in the latest round of the Metropolitan Health Infrastructure Fund.

The funding includes $1.4 million for the Monash Medical Centre to upgrade and expand its antenatal clinics.

It comes as new research shows 27 per cent of midwives plan to leave the profession in the next five years, while 40 per cent regularly think of quitting.

Pressure from workforce shortages and burnout were the leading reasons for the midwives' dissatisfaction, the La Trobe University study released on Wednesday showed.