ELECTIVE surgery at the John Hunter Hospital and Royal Newcastle Centre will stop before the end of the month and will not fully resume until almost the end of January.
The Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital will close for about three weeks from December 19 to January 12.
A Hunter New England Health spokeswoman said the Royal Newcastle Centre would stop elective surgery from December 19 to January 29.
From December 22 to January 5, only the more critical elective surgeries would be done at the John Hunter Hospital, she said. Surgery would then "gradually resume" and be back to full capacity on January 29.
Hunter New England Health operations director acute networks Michael Di Rienzo said there would be fewer elective surgery admissions because of the anticipated increase in emergency work.
The decrease also allowed surgical staff to take a well-earned break, he said.
In other parts of the state, operating theatres will shut for up to eight weeks over the holiday season.
NSW Health rejected yesterday claims the closures would cause a waiting list blowout.
NSW Health Director-General Deborah Piccone said the closures were routine, in order to carry out maintenance and to allow staff to take leave.
No elective surgery was scheduled during the shutdowns but emergency theatres would open, she said.
The NSW Opposition has claimed the closures are about trying to save money in the health budget.
Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said yesterday the Government was being very inventive in its reasons.
"In some cases they're painting the theatres again or doing maintenance, the doctors are on holidays, the nurses are holidays all absolute nonsense," she said.
"This is about saving money and that's the . . . focus."
Ms Piccone rejected that claim. "It doesn't save money," she said.
"The theatre infrastructure is there and people are obviously paid money while they are on leave." with AAP