Highlights
In 2021–22:
- the overall time within which 50% of patients were admitted (the median waiting time) was 40 days, and the time within which 90% of patients were admitted was 323 days
- 6.3% 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 (29 days) was shorter than for smaller hospitals categorised as Public acute group A hospitals and Public acute group B hospitals (44 days and 56 days, respectively).
Changes over time
Between 2020–21 and 2021–22, decreases in the 50th and 90th percentile waiting times occurred across almost all states/territories.
50th percentile (median) waiting time
Between 2020–21 and 2021–22, the 50th percentile waiting time:
- decreased overall from 48 days to 40 days
- decreased for all public hospital peer groups except Other hospitals (not included in group A or B), which increased by 2 days.
Between 2017–18 and 2021–22, the 50th percentile waiting time:
- remained the same overall at 40 days
- increased for all public hospital peer groups except Principal referral and Women’s and children’s hospitals, which decreased by 6 days.
90th percentile waiting time
Between 2020–21 and 2021–22, the 90th percentile waiting time:
- decreased overall from 348 days to 323 days
- decreased for all public hospital peer groups.
Between 2017–18 and 2021–22, the 90th percentile waiting time:
- decreased overall from 268 days to 323 days
- increased for all public hospital peer groups.
Patients who waited more than 365 days
Between 2020–21 and 2021–22, the proportion of patients who waited more than 365 days to be admitted decreased from 7.6% to 6.3%. Prior to 2020–21, this proportion fluctuated between 1.8% in 2017–18 to 2.8% in 2018–19.
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 2021–22, the proportion of patients admitted within the clinically recommended time was:
- for New South Wales; 83%
- for Victoria; 80%
- for Queensland; 85%
- for Western Australia; 81%
- for South Australia; 76%
- for Tasmania; 57%
- for the Australian Capital Territory; 78%
- for the Northern Territory; 68%.
In 2021–22, the average overdue wait time was:
- for New South Wales; 91 days
- for Victoria; 211 days
- for Queensland; 78 days
- for Western Australia; 96 days
- for South Australia; 86 days
- for Tasmania; 253 days
- for the Australian Capital Territory; 123 days
- for the Northern Territory; 310 days.