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Paediatric surgery waiting times in Australia

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

National median wait (public)46 days2024-07-01 – 2025-06-30

Public hospitals reporting48with 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
Tas	28 days
NSW	42 days
Vic	45 days
SA	50 days
WA	51 days
ACT	77 days

Shortest waits at public hospitals

The 15 public hospitals with the shortest median wait for paediatric surgery operations, out of 48 reporting.

Hospital	State	Local health network	Median wait	Operations in the year
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital	NSW	Sydney	8 days	105
St John of God Midland Public Hospital	WA	East Metropolitan Health Service (WA)	8 days	46
Northern Beaches Hospital	NSW	Northern Sydney	9 days	44
Sydney Children's Hospital	NSW	Sydney Children's Hospitals Network	19 days	777
Albury Wodonga Health [Wodonga Campus]	Vic	Albury Wodonga Health	21 days	337
Peel Health Campus	WA	South Metropolitan Health Service (WA)	21 days	24
The Children's Hospital at Westmead	NSW	Sydney Children's Hospitals Network	23 days	1,619
Griffith Base Hospital	NSW	Murrumbidgee	23 days	52
Monash Medical Centre [Clayton]	Vic	Monash Health	24 days	434
Sutherland Hospital	NSW	South Eastern Sydney	28 days	15
Auburn Hospital	NSW	Western Sydney	28 days	62
Nepean Hospital	NSW	Nepean Blue Mountains	28 days	69
Royal Hobart Hospital	Tas	Tasmanian Health Service	28 days	346
Tamworth Hospital	NSW	Hunter New England	29 days	11
Sunshine Hospital	Vic	Western Health (Vic)	33 days	51

Common questions

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

Half of patients admitted from public hospital waiting lists for paediatric surgery operations waited 46 days or less (national median, 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30). By state it ranged from 28 days (Tas) to 77 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.

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