FairWaitAxillary node dissection waiting times in Australia
How long public patients wait for axillary node dissection, at each public hospital and in each state — official AIHW figures, checked daily.
Median wait by state and territory
| State / territory | Median wait |
|---|---|
| WA | 9 days |
| Vic | 12 days |
| NSW | 16 days |
Shortest waits at public hospitals
The 11 public hospitals with the shortest median wait for axillary node dissection, out of 11 reporting.
| Hospital | State | Local health network | Median wait | Operations in the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monash Medical Centre [Moorabbin] | Vic | Monash Health | 6 days | 26 |
| Joondalup Health Campus (Public) | WA | North Metropolitan Health Service (WA) | 6 days | 67 |
| Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre | Vic | Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute (Vic) | 7 days | 14 |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital | SA | Central Adelaide | 10 days | 16 |
| Ballarat Health Services [Base Hospital] | Vic | Grampians Health | 11 days | 16 |
| Wollongong Hospital | NSW | Illawarra Shoalhaven | 13 days | 13 |
| University Hospital Geelong | Vic | Barwon Health | 13 days | 48 |
| Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital | WA | North Metropolitan Health Service (WA) | 13 days | 32 |
| Fremantle Hospital and Health Service | WA | South Metropolitan Health Service (WA) | 17 days | 20 |
| Fiona Stanley Hospital | WA | South Metropolitan Health Service (WA) | 20 days | 14 |
| Calvary Mater Newcastle | NSW | Hunter New England | 24 days | 28 |
Common questions
How long is the public waiting list for axillary node dissection in Australia?
Half of patients admitted from public hospital waiting lists for axillary node dissection waited 12 days or less (national median, 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30). By state it ranged from 9 days (WA) to 16 days (NSW).
Can I avoid the wait?
As a private patient you choose your surgeon and usually wait less, but you pay fees, partly covered by Medicare and any private health insurance. Private hospitals don't publish waiting times.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) — MyHospitals, elective surgery waiting times, 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30. All data sources.