How long patients wait for admission from elective surgery waiting lists is a measure of the accessibility of elective surgery.
Waiting times measure the amount of time elapsed from a patient being ready for surgery to their admission for the procedure.
Access to elective surgery is affected by demand for elective surgery, the availability of hospital staff and other resources, clinical factors such as how urgently the surgery is required, and patient factors such as where they live.
This section presents information on waiting times for elective surgery for 2022–23 and for other recent years.
Waiting times data provides information about the length of time waited by patients on public hospital elective surgery waiting lists before being admitted for surgery.
Explore the data
In the data visualisation below, you can explore waiting times for elective surgery by hospital peer group and clinical urgency category of the surgery for 2022–23 and other recent years.
The data can also be explored by:
- hospital (where data is available)
- local Hospital Network (LHN) (where data is available).
Waiting times
All data in these visualisations are available for download in the Data & downloads section of the MyHospitals website.
Peer group
These bar graphs show waiting time statistics (waiting time in days) for elective surgery in 2022–23. Data is presented by peer group. National data is available. In 2022–23, 90% of patients were admitted within 361 days, 50% of patients were admitted within 49 days and 9.6% of patients waited more than 365 days for surgery.
Hospitals and LHNs
This table shows waiting times for elective surgery between 2013–14 and 2022–23. Data is presented by measure (median waiting time, number of elective surgeries and percentage of patients who received their surgery within clinically relevant time), urgency category and peer group. Hospital and Local Hospital Network (LHN) data is available.
Highlights
In 2022–23:
- the overall time within which 50% of patients were admitted (the median waiting time) was 49 days, and the time within which 90% of patients were admitted was 361 days
- 9.6% of patients waited more than 365 days for their surgery
- the 50th percentile (median) waiting time for patients admitted from waiting lists to Principal referral and Women’s and children’s hospitals (37 days) was shorter than for smaller hospitals categorised as Public acute group A hospitals and Public acute group B hospitals (54 days and 66 days, respectively).
Changes over time
Between 2021–22 and 2022–23, waiting times (measured at the 50th and 90th percentiles) increased across most states/territories. The exceptions were: waiting times in Tasmania decreased on both measures (50th and 90th percentile waiting times), South Australia decreased in respect of the 90th percentile waiting time, and the waiting time in the Northern Territory decreased in respect of the 50th percentile wait time.
50th percentile (median) waiting time
Between 2021–22 and 2022–23, the 50th percentile waiting time:
- increased overall from 40 days to 49 days
- increased for all public hospital peer groups.
Between 2018–19 and 2022–23, the 50th percentile waiting time:
- increased from 41 days to 49 days
- increased for all public hospital peer groups by over 10 days, except Principal referral and Women’s and children’s hospitals, which slightly increased by 2 days.
90th percentile waiting time
Between 2021–22 and 2022–23, the 90th percentile waiting time:
- increased overall from 323 days to 361 days
- increased for all public hospital peer groups.
Between 2018–19 and 2022–23, the 90th percentile waiting time:
- increased overall from 279 days to 361 days
- increased for all public hospital peer groups.
Patients who waited more than 365 days
Between 2021–22 and 2022–23, the proportion of patients who waited more than 365 days to be admitted increased from 6.3% to 9.6%. Prior to 2021–22, this proportion increased from 2.1% in 2018–19 to 7.6% in 2020–21.
Waiting times by clinical urgency category
When a patient is placed on a public hospital elective surgery waiting list, a clinical assessment is made to determine the urgency with which they require elective surgery (the clinically recommended time). The proportion of patients seen within the recommended time is the percentage of patients who were admitted for surgery within the clinically recommended time as defined by their clinical urgency category.
The ‘overdue wait’ is the amount of time spent waiting while overdue—that is, after 30, 90, or 365 days for clinical urgency categories 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The average overdue wait time (in days) is calculated for patients who were still waiting for their elective surgery as at 30 June 2022, who were ready for care, and who had waited beyond the recommended time.
Due to the lack of comparability of clinical urgency categories between states and territories, these data are presented for each state and territory separately.
In 2022–23, the proportion of patients admitted within the clinically recommended time was:
- for New South Wales; 77%
- for Victoria; 75%
- for Queensland; 78%
- for Western Australia; 76%
- for South Australia; 74%
- for Tasmania; 62%
- for the Australian Capital Territory; 69%
- for the Northern Territory; 68%.
In 2022–23, the average overdue wait time was:
- for New South Wales; 114 days
- for Victoria; 260 days
- for Queensland; 97 days
- for Western Australia; 147 days
- for South Australia; 112 days
- for Tasmania; 253 days
- for the Australian Capital Territory; 144 days
- for the Northern Territory; 391 days.
What other data is available?
To explore elective surgery waiting times by hospital or LHN see My local area.
Appendixes and caveat information for this data is available to download in the Info and downloads section.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.
The surgical speciality describes the area of clinical expertise held by the doctor performing the elective surgery.
Explore the data
In the data visualisation below, you can explore elective surgery waiting times by surgical speciality for 2022–23 and for other recent years by:
- area of surgical specialty
- state and territory
- local hospital network (LHN) (where data is available)
- hospital (where data is available).
Waiting times by surgical specialty
All data in these visualisations are available for download in the Data & downloads section of the MyHospitals website.
National time series
These graphs show waiting time statistics (waiting time in days) for elective surgery between 2018–19 and 2022–23. Data is presented by surgical specialty. National, state and territory data are available. In 2018–19, 90% of patients were admitted within 279 days, whereas in 2022–23, 90% of patients were admitted within 361 days.
Hospitals and LHNs
This table shows waiting times for elective surgery between 2013–14 and 2022–23. Data is presented by measure (median waiting time, number of elective surgeries and percentage of patients who received their surgery within clinically relevant time), surgery specialty and peer group. Hospital, Local Hospital Network (LHN), national, state and territory data are available.
Highlights
In 2022–23:
- the surgical speciality with the highest median waiting time (50th percentile) was Ophthalmology (105 days)
- the surgical specialty with the highest 90th percentile waiting time was Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (507 days)
- the surgical speciality with the lowest median and 90th percentile waiting time was Cardiothoracic surgery (20 days and 108 days, respectively)
- the surgical specialities that had the highest proportions of patients who waited more than 365 days to be admitted were Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery and Orthopaedic surgery (21% and 18%, respectively).
Changes over time
- the median waiting time increased for 11 out of the 12 surgical specialties, excluding Plastic and reconstructive surgery which decreased by 1 day from 26 days in 2021–22 to 25 days in 2022–23
- the 90th percentile waiting time increased for all 12 surgical specialties, with Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery having the largest increase of 150 days from 357 days in 2018–19 to 507 days in 2022–23.
- Neurosurgery median waiting times increased from 38 days to 45 days.
What other data is available?
To explore elective surgery waiting times by hospital or LHN see My local area.
Appendixes and caveat information for this data is available to download in the Info and downloads section.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.
Waiting list statistics for intended surgical procedures can indicate performance in particular areas of elective surgery. Information on the types of elective surgery provided by public hospitals is shown by the intended surgical procedure, for selected procedures only.
A range of restrictions and disruptions to elective surgeries occurred as a result of COVID-19 which has impacted elective surgery waiting times across most procedures from 2019–20 onwards. Prior to this, between 2016–17 and 2019–20, median waiting times for elective surgeries tended to remain relatively stable across most procedures.
Explore the data
In the data visualisations below, you can explore elective surgery waiting times for 2022–23 and other recent years by:
- a list of 15 selected intended procedures (also previously known as indicator procedures)
- state and territory
- local hospital network (LHN), and hospital level (for all intended procedures).
Waiting times by intended procedure
All data in these visualisations are available for download in the Data & downloads section of the MyHospitals website.
National time series
These line graphs show waiting time statistics (waiting time in days) for elective surgery between 2018–19 and 2022–23. Data is presented by indicator procedure. National, state and territory data are available. In 2018–19, 90% of patients were admitted within 279 days, whereas in 2022–23, 90% of patients were admitted within 361 days.
Hospitals and LHNs
This table shows the waiting times for elective surgery between 2013–14 and 2022–23. Data is presented by measure (median waiting time, number of elective surgeries and percentage of patients who received their surgery within clinically relevant time), intended procedure and peer group. Hospital, Local Hospital Network (LHN), national, state and territory data are available.
Highlights
In 2022–23, for the 15 selected intended (indicator) procedures:
- Coronary artery bypass graft had the shortest median and 90th percentile waiting times with 19 and 103 days respectively, and <1% of patients waited more than 365 days to receive this type of surgery.
- Septoplasty had the highest median and 90th percentile waiting time with 365 and 666 days respectively.
In 2022–23, for the top 25 intended procedures:
- Curettage and evacuation of uterus had the shortest median and 90th percentile waiting time with 4 and 53 days respectively. The proportion of patients waiting more than 365 days to receive this elective surgery of <1%.
- Septoplasty had the highest median and 90th percentile waiting time with 365 and 666 days respectively.
Changes over time
Between 2018–19 and 2022–23, for the 15 selected intended (indicator) procedures:
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery consistently had the lowest waiting times across all of the waiting time measures
- Septoplasty consistently had the highest median waiting times and Myringoplasty/Tympanoplasty consistently had the highest 90th percentile waiting time except for 2020–21 and 2022–23 when waiting times for Septoplasty were 500 and 666 days
- Septoplasty had the largest increase in median and 90th percentile waiting time with 124 and 292 days, respectively from 241 and 374 days in 2018–19 to 365 and 666 days in 2022–23
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery and Cytoscopy had the lowest increase in median waiting times of just 2 days, respectively from 17 and 24 days in 2018–19 to 19 and 26 days in 2022–23
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery had the lowest increase in 90th percentile waiting times of 28 days from 75 days in 2018–19 to 103 days in 2022–23.
What other data is available?
To explore elective surgery waiting times by hospital or LHN see My local area.
Appendixes and caveat information for this data is available to download in the Info and downloads section.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.
The accessibility of public hospital elective surgery procedures can vary depending on the demographics of the patient. This section presents information on the variation of access to these services by demographic information for 2022–23, including information on the patients’:
- Indigenous status
- remoteness area of usual residence
- socioeconomic area of usual residence
- funding source.
Explore the data
In the data visualisations below, you can explore the impact of Indigenous status, remoteness and socioeconomic area of usual residence on waiting times to admission from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists.
Demographic information
All data in these visualisations are available for download in the Data & downloads section of the MyHospitals website.
Indigenous status
This bar graph shows the time within which 50% of patients were admitted (median wait) from elective surgery waiting lists for the 25 most common intended procedures in 2021–22. Data is presented by Indigenous status. National data is available. In 2021–22, Indigenous Australians waited 289 days for Septoplasty, whereas Other Australians waited 308 days.
Standardised separation rates
This bar graph shows the standardised separations rate ratios for admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists in in 2021–22. Data is presented by intended procedure. National data is available. In 2021–22, the standardised separation rate ratio (Indigenous/Other Australians) for Myringoplasty/tympanoplasty was 5.98.
Remoteness
This bar graph shows admissions per 1,000 population and 50th percentile (median) waiting times (days) for admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists in 2021–22. Data is presented by intended procedure and remoteness of area of usual residence. In 2021–22, the 50th percentile waiting time varied by remoteness area from 48 days in Outer regional areas to 34 days in Remote areas for All procedures.
Socioeconomic status
This bar graph shows admissions per 1,000 population and 50th percentile (median) waiting times (days) for admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists in 2021–22. Data is presented by intended procedure and socioeconomic status of area of usual residence. In 2021–22, the 50th percentile waiting time varied from 30 days in the highest socioeconomic status area (least disadvantaged) to 43 days in the lowest socioeconomic status area (most disadvantaged) for All procedures.
First Nations people
Waiting times
In 2022–23:
- there were 28,441 admissions (4.2%) from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists for patients who identified as First Nations people
- the time within which 50% of First Nations people were admitted for their awaited procedure was greater than that for Other Australians (60 days and 48 days, respectively)
- the greatest difference in the time within which 50% of patients were admitted was for Myringoplasty/tympanoplasty (116 days for First Nations people, and 305 days for Other Australians)
- Myringoplasty/tympanoplasty, Septoplasty, Herniorrhaphy, Inguinal herniotomy/herniorrhaphy, Prostatectomy, and Coronary artery bypass graft all had shorter waiting times for First Nations people.
Separation rates
A separation rate ratio (SRR) greater than 1.0 indicates that the separation rate (hospitalisations per unit of population) for an intended procedure for First Nations people was higher than for Other Australians admitted for the same intended procedure.
In 2022–23:
- for 14 of the 24 intended procedures, the SRR indicate that the separation rates for First Nations people were at least 50% higher than the rates for Other Australians
- the highest SRR were for Myringoplasty/tympanoplasty (3.1, or 310% as high), Coronary artery bypass graft and Myringotomy (both 2.7, or 270% as high)
- the rates for First Nations people were not notably different to the rates for Other Australians for Cystoscopy (1.2), Inguinal herniotomy/herniorrhaphy (1.1), Prostatectomy (1.1), Septoplasty (0.9), Arthroscopy (1.3), Breast lump—excision and/or biopsy (1.2), Prostate biopsy (1.1) and Skin lesion—excision of (1.1).
Changes over time
From 2018–19 to 2022–23:
- the proportion of First Nations people admitted from private hospital elective surgery waiting lists increased by approximately 0.9 percentage points from 1.9% to 2.8%
- the difference in time within which 50% of First Nations people were admitted for their awaited procedure compared to that of Other Australians increased from 11 days (53 and 41 days respectively) to 12 days (60 and 48 days, respectively).
Remoteness area of usual residence
In 2022–23, 65% of admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists were for patients living in Major cities, 23% for patients in Inner regional areas, and 10% for patients in Outer regional areas.
Waiting times
In 2022–23:
- the time within which 50% of patients were admitted for their awaited procedure varied by remoteness area of the patient’s usual residence – ranging from 41 days in Remote areas to 51 days in Outer regional areas. This is higher compared with 2018–19 – 36 days in Remote areas and 45 days in Outer regional areas
- for Cataract extraction, people from Inner regional areas had the longest waiting time (50% admitted within 187 days), and people from Remote areas had the shortest (50% admitted within 97 days).
Population rates
In 2022–23:
- people living in Remote areas had the highest rate of admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists (29.6 per 1,000 population), followed by Inner regional (28.3 per 1,000), Outer regional (28.2 per 1,000) and Very remote (26.3 per 1,000)
- people living in Major cities had the lowest rate of admissions (22.0 per 1,000 population).
Changes over time
Compared with 2018–19, in 2022–23 the rates of admission from elective surgery waiting lists were lower across all remoteness areas of usual residence by 5 to 7 days.
Socioeconomic area of usual residence
In 2022–23, the rate of admissions from waiting lists was highest for people living in the lowest (most disadvantaged) socioeconomic area (31 per 1,000 population) and lowest for people living in the highest (least disadvantaged) socioeconomic area (14 per 1,000 population).
Waiting times
In 2022–23:
- the time within which 50% of patients were admitted ranged from 40 days for residents living in the least disadvantaged socioeconomic area to 51 days for people living in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic area. This is higher compared with 2018–19, when it was 34 days for least disadvantaged area and 45 days for most disadvantaged area
- the difference in time within which 50% of patients were admitted between the most and least disadvantaged areas was 11 days, same as five years ago
- the intended procedure with the greatest variation in waiting times for residents by socioeconomic area was Cataract extraction (with or without intra-ocular lens insertion), ranging from 86 days for the least disadvantaged socioeconomic area to 120 days for the most disadvantaged socioeconomic area.
Population rates
In 2022–23, people living in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic areas had an admission rate more than 2 times greater than people living in the least disadvantaged socioeconomic areas for all the top 25 most common procedures except Haemorrhoidectomy, Inguinal herniotomy/herniorrhaphy, Varicose veins treatment and Curettage and evacuation of uterus.
Funding source
Waiting times varies by the funding source of the patient. In 2022–23 for admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists, 92% of hospitalisations in public hospitals were for Public patients, and 5.7% of hospitalisations were for patients who used Private health insurance to fund all or part of their admission.
Waiting times
In 2022–23, for the 25 most common intended procedures, the time in which 50% of patients were admitted for their awaited procedure was:
- 51 days for Public patients, compared to 24 days for Private health insurance funded patients and Other patients
- longer for Public patients than Private health insurance patients for all the 25 most common intended procedures and for all surgical specialities.
Changes over time
From 2018–19 to 2022–23, the time within which 50% of patients were admitted from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists increased for Public patients (44 to 51 days) and Other patients (17 to 24 days), but remained the same for Private health insurance funded patients (24 days).
In 2018–19 and in 2022–23, the time within which 50% of patients were admitted from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists was longer for Public patients than Private health insurance patients for all surgical specialities, with Public patients having a median waiting time up to 23 days longer in 2022–23 than 2018–19 for Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery.
What other information is available?
Demographic information on public hospital elective surgery waiting times is taken from the admitted patient care data (NHMD elective surgery cluster), 2022–23.
More data about patients’ access to hospital services can be found in Admitted patient care 2021–22: Who used these services?, tables 6.27–6.33, S6.19–S6.21.
More information, Appendixes and caveat information, and data tables are available in the Info & downloads section.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.
Patients with a cancer-related diagnosis often require more urgent admission from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists than patients awaiting surgery for other conditions.
Explore the data
In the data visualisations below, you can explore the median (50th percentile) waiting times for admissions from public hospital elective surgery waiting lists for cancer-related principal diagnoses and by specialty of surgeon in 2022–23.
Cancer surgery waiting times
All data in these visualisations are available for download in the Data & downloads section of the MyHospitals website.
Principal diagnosis
This bar graph shows the time within which 50% of patients were admitted from elective surgery waiting lists in 2021–22. Data is presented by selected principal diagnoses for type of cancer (Bladder cancer, Bowel cancer, Breast cancer, Gynaecological cancer, Kidney cancer, Lung cancer, Melanoma, Prostate cancer, and All other principal diagnoses). National data is available. In 2021–22, 50% of patients were admitted within 21 days for all cancer-related principal diagnoses.
Surgical specialty
This bar graph shows the time within which 50% of patients were admitted from elective surgery waiting lists in 2021–22. Data is presented by neoplasm related diagnoses and other diagnoses by surgical speciality. National data is available. In 2021–22, patients with Neoplasm related diagnoses waited 21 days, whereas patients with Other diagnoses waited 56 days.
Highlights
In 2022–23:
- patients with a cancer-related principal diagnosis had shorter waiting times (at the 50th percentile) compared with patients waiting for surgery for other reasons (22 days and 65 days, respectively)
- for cancer-related orthopaedic surgeries, the median waiting times for publicly funded patients was more than twice that of patients with private health insurance (44 days and 16 days, respectively).
The time within which 50% of patients with a principal diagnosis of:
- Lung cancer were admitted for surgery was 14 days, with 90% of patients admitted for surgery within 37 days
- Breast cancer were admitted for surgery was 15 days, with 90% of patients admitted for surgery within 30 days
- Bladder cancer were admitted for surgery was 23 days, with 90% of patients admitted for surgery within 79 days
- Prostate cancer were admitted for surgery was 30 days, with 90% of patients admitted for surgery within 120 days.
Changes over time
In 2022–23, patients with a cancer-related diagnoses had a higher median waiting time than in 2018–19 – 48 and 41 days, respectively. However, the waiting time for patients with other diagnoses was also higher in 2022–23 (65 days) than 2018–19 (56 days).
What other information is available?
More information on cancer surgery waiting times, appendixes and caveat information is available in Admitted patient care: What procedures were performed? Refer to data tables 6.34, 6.35 and S6.21.
Data on cancer surgery waiting times is taken from the Admitted patient care data (NHMD elective surgery cluster), 2022–23.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.