In short: 

A shortage of IV fluids will last until at least the end of this year, health ministers say.

Ministers have agreed to seek additional supply of IV bags, but reassure that shortages are easing.

What's next?

An urgent response group will meet at least weekly until supply constraints improve.

The nation's health ministers have sought to reassure that a critical shortage of IV fluids is easing, but admit it will continue for the rest of the year.

The ministers met on Friday in Sydney to discuss the global shortages, noting they had been caused by unexpected increases in demand and manufacturing capacity constraints.

A Response Group co-ordinating the states and territories has been set-up and will continue to meet at least weekly while the supply remains constrained.

After ABC News revealed some patients were having to stay in hospital for longer post-surgery because they had been administered "little or no" fluid during their operations, authorities said they had taken immediate steps to address supply issues.

Ministers agreed to better information sharing about the usage and supply of IV fluids across the country, ensuring a national approach to distribution, and partnering directly with manufacturers and distributors to help them address supply issues.

The group has also agreed to look at additional procurement opportunities, including within Australia.

Pressure had been mounting on federal health authorities to help guarantee the supply of the critical medicines, including saline and sodium lactate solution, whose lifesaving uses include treating dehydration and sepsis, as well as assisting patients in intensive care and recovery.

President of the Australian Medical Association Steve Robson was among the clinicians who had warned the shortage was impacting on his work, and was concerned about the impacts on elective surgeries too.

"I think it's fair to say that elective surgery has been conducted in a different way, with much more focus on reducing the need for intravenous fluid," he said.

"I'm not aware of any surgery that's been cancelled at this point, but of course if there are ongoing supply issues, it could still be a problem, so we'll need to watch and wait around the country."

He noted the shortages were "patchy" across the country, with Victoria and Queensland seeming to escape the supply constraints.

The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists had also warned doctors weren't being told about the extent of the shortage or what to expect moving forward. 

Ahead of the health ministers' meeting, opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said the public needed reassurance that action was being taken.

"As doctors and health professionals on the frontline are being forced to ration drips because of the government's failure to secure supplies, Australian patients need a guarantee that they will not be harmed by this crisis," she said in a statement.

In their joint statement, health ministers urged calm, saying supply challenges were being addressed and "health services are continuing".

Professor Robson said it was an "important wake-up call" for the country to think closely about sovereign supply.

"We need to think in Australia about whether we need to ramp-up production of vital medical supplies, not just IV fluids but perhaps bandages and other things that are used in routine healthcare," he said.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler was unavailable for interview.