Elective surgery

Elective surgery is planned surgery that can be booked in advance as a result of a specialist clinical assessment. Elective surgery is considered medically necessary, and may be required urgently, but is not conducted as a result of an emergency presentation.

Most elective (planned) surgeries performed in Australia are undertaken in private hospitals. However, the information presented in these pages provides an overview of elective surgery provided by public hospitals following the patient’s placement on a public hospital waiting list. The data on elective surgery waiting times is captured after the procedure is performed, so does not reflect the status of people currently waiting for surgery. 

More data on public hospital elective surgery waiting lists can be found via the links at the bottom of the page. 

In 2024–25:

Overview of elective surgery activity

Both the number of additions to elective surgery waiting lists, and the number of admissions from elective surgery waiting lists, have increased since the last reporting year following some years of variability due to disruptions to hospital services arising from the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although 940,000 people were added to elective surgery waiting lists in 2024–25, the total number waiting decreased as 952,000 were removed – 791,000 through admission for surgery and 162,000 for other reasons, such as no longer requiring the procedure.

Nationally, in 2024–25:

  • 940,000 patients were added to public hospital elective surgery waiting lists – a 3.1% increase compared with 2023–24
  • 952,000 patients were removed from the waiting lists:
    • 791,000 patients were removed from these waiting lists as they were admitted for the awaited surgery – a 1.6% increase compared with 2023–24
    • and a further 162,000 people were removed from these waiting lists for other reasons.
  • the most common surgical specialty associated with admissions was General surgery (20%), followed by Ophthalmology surgery (15%)
  • Cataract extraction was the most common intended procedure – accounting for 11% of admissions from elective surgery waiting lists, followed by Skin lesion – excision of (7.6%).

Elective surgery waiting times

For most intended procedures, waiting times decreased compared to 2023–24 and were shorter than waiting times in 2020–21.

Nationally, in 2024–25:

  • 50% of patients were admitted for elective surgery within 45 days, a decrease from 46 days in 2023–24 and a decrease from 48 days in 2020–21
  • an increase in median waiting times occurred for:
    • Inguinal herniorrhaphy (3 day increase) – from 70 days in 2023–24 to 73 days in 2024–25. This is 3 days less compared with 5 years ago in 2020–21
    • Cholecystectomy (2 day increase) – from 46 days in 2023–24 to 48 days in 2024–25. This is 8 days less compared with 5 years ago in 2020–21
    • Cystoscopy (1 day increase) – from 25 days in 2023–24 to 26 days in 2024–25. This is the same as 5 years ago in 2020–21
  • the greatest decreases in median waiting times occurred for:
    • Varicose veins treatment (56 day decrease) – from 189 days in 2023–24 to 133 days in 2024–25. This is 90 days less compared with 5 years ago in 2020–21
    • Cataract extraction (13 day decrease) – from 119 days in 2023–24 to 106 days in 2024–25. This is 66 days less compared with 5 years ago in 2020–21
    • Septoplasty (12 day decrease) – from 332 days in 2023–24 to 320 days in 2024–25. This is 10 days less compared with 5 years ago in 2020–21
  • 6.0% of patients waited longer than 365 days to be admitted for elective surgery, a decrease from 6.4% in 2023–24 and 7.6% in 2020–21
  • of the 25 most common surgeries, Curettage and evacuation of uterus had the shortest median waiting time (4 days) followed by Dialysis access surgery (15 days). Septoplasty had the longest median waiting time (320 days)
  • the median waiting time experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people was 59 days.

Admissions from waiting lists

  • In 2024–25, nearly three-quarters of all admissions for elective surgery from waiting lists were to Principal referral and Women’s and children’s hospitals and Public acute group A hospitals (39% and 33%, respectively).
  • Between 2023–24 and 2024–25, admissions increased by 1.6% overall, ranging from a decrease of 0.1% in Principal referral and Women’s and children’s hospitals to an increase of 7.1% in Other hospitals.
  • In 2024–25, patients in 4.8% of admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists were identified as First Nations people. 

Latest data