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The median waiting time for elective surgery is a measure of access to elective surgery. Data were available for a subset of elective surgery patients in public hospitals, defined as those removed from waiting lists for a range of surgical procedures. The median waiting time is the number of days within which 50% of patients were removed from elective surgery waiting lists.

In public hospitals, 50% of patients waited 36 days or less for elective surgery in 2011–12, an increase from 34 days in 2007–08. A total of 2.7% waited more than a year—the lowest percentage since 2007–08.

  • Median waiting time varied across states and territories. The lowest was 27 days in Queensland, and the highest was 63 days in the Australian Capital Territory (Figure 38).
  • Ophthalmology, ear, nose and throat surgery and orthopaedic surgery were the surgical specialties with the longest median waiting times (74, 66, and 63 days respectively) in 2011–12 (Figure 39).
  • Cardiothoracic surgery had the shortest median waiting time (16 days).
  • Overall, the median waiting times for patients with cancer-related principal diagnoses (19 days) were 17 days shorter than the median waiting times for patients overall (36 days) (Figure 39). For orthopaedic surgery, 50% of patients with cancer waited 7 days or less, compared with 64 days overall.

Figure 38: Median waiting times for elective surgery, public hospitals, states and territories, 2011–12

Vertical bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for elective surgery by states and territories for public hospitals, 2011–12

Figure 39: Median waiting times, overall and cancer-related, by specialty of surgeon, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, 2011–12

For more information see below: State and territory waiting times for elective surgery by surgical specialty

  • Coronary artery bypass graft was the procedure with the shortest median waiting time (16 days) and total knee replacement had the longest median waiting time (184 days) (Figure 40).

Figure 40: Median waiting times for elective surgery, by procedure, 2011–12

Horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, by procedure, 2011–12

For more information see below: State and territory waiting times for elective surgery by indicator procedure

State and territory waiting times for elective surgery by surgical specialty

Figure 39a: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, NSW, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, New South Wales, 2011–12

Figure 39b: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, Vic, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, Victoria, 2011–12

Figure 39c: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, Qld, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, Queensland, 2011–12

Figure 39d: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, WA, 2011–12

39d median waiting times by specialty WA PNG

Figure 39e: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, SA, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, South Australia, 2011–12

Figure 39f: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, Tas, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, Tasmania, 2011–12

Figure 39g: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, ACT, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, Australian Capital Territory, 2011–12

Figure 39h: Median waiting times by specialty of surgeon, NT, 2011–12

Grouped horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, for overall and cancer-related principal diagnoses, by specialty of surgeon, Northern Territory, 2011–12

State and territory waiting times for elective surgery by indicator procedure

Figure 40a: Median waiting times by procedure, NSW, 2011–12

Horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, by procedure, New South Wales, 2011–12

Figure 40b: Median waiting times by procedure, Vic, 2011–12

Horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, by procedure, Victoria, 2011–12

Figure 40c: Median waiting times by procedure, Qld, 2011–12

Horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, by procedure, Queensland, 2011–12

Figure 40d: Median waiting times by procedure, WA, 2011–12

40d median waiting times by procedure WA PNG

Figure 40e: Median waiting times by procedure, SA, 2011–12

40e median waiting times by procedure SA PNG

Figure 40f: Median waiting times by procedure, Tas, 2011–12

Horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, by procedure, Tasmania, 2011–12

Figure 40g: Median waiting times by procedure, ACT, 2011–12

Horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, by procedure, Australian Capital Territory, 2011–12

Figure 40h: Median waiting times by procedure, NT, 2011–12

Horizontal bar chart showing median waiting times in days, by procedure, Northern Territory, 2011–12

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