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Other surgery waiting times in Australia

How long public patients wait for other surgery operations, at each public hospital and in each state — official AIHW figures, checked daily.

National median wait (public)24 days2024-07-01 – 2025-06-30

Public hospitals reporting79with a published median

As a public patientFreeunder Medicare

As a private patientAsk for a quotefees vary by surgeon and hospital

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Median wait by state and territory

State / territory	Median wait
Vic	21 days
WA	21 days
NSW	22 days
Qld	42 days
SA	42 days
ACT	84 days

Shortest waits at public hospitals

The 15 public hospitals with the shortest median wait for other surgery operations, out of 79 reporting.

Hospital	State	Local health network	Median wait	Operations in the year
John Hunter Hospital	NSW	Hunter New England	1 days	119
Mudgee Health Service	NSW	Western NSW	3 days	30
The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital	Vic	Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital	3 days	32
Sydney Children's Hospital	NSW	Sydney Children's Hospitals Network	4 days	78
St Vincent's Hospital [Darlinghurst]	NSW	St Vincent's Health Network	4 days	11
The Alfred	Vic	Alfred Health (Vic)	4 days	151
Karratha Health Campus	WA	WA Country Health Service	4 days	18
The Children's Hospital at Westmead	NSW	Sydney Children's Hospitals Network	5 days	99
Peel Health Campus	WA	South Metropolitan Health Service (WA)	5 days	21
Hedland Health Campus	WA	WA Country Health Service	6 days	18
Collie Hospital	WA	WA Country Health Service	6 days	11
Northern Beaches Hospital	NSW	Northern Sydney	6 days	94
Concord Repatriation Hospital	NSW	Sydney	7 days	75
Narrogin Hospital	WA	WA Country Health Service	7 days	17
Singleton Hospital	NSW	Hunter New England	8 days	10

Common questions

How long is the public waiting list for other surgery operations in Australia?

Half of patients admitted from public hospital waiting lists for other surgery operations waited 24 days or less (national median, 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30). By state it ranged from 21 days (Vic) to 84 days (ACT).

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.

All Australian operations and specialties