FairWaitPlastic surgery waiting times in Australia
How long public patients wait for plastic surgery operations, at each public hospital and in each state — official AIHW figures, checked daily.
Median wait by state and territory
| State / territory | Median wait |
|---|---|
| Vic | 17 days |
| NT | 23 days |
| Tas | 23 days |
| ACT | 28 days |
| Qld | 29 days |
| SA | 29 days |
| WA | 33 days |
| NSW | 34 days |
Shortest waits at public hospitals
The 15 public hospitals with the shortest median wait for plastic surgery operations, out of 110 reporting.
| Hospital | State | Local health network | Median wait | Operations in the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Healthcare [Warrnambool] | Vic | South West Healthcare (Vic) | 1 days | 713 |
| Karratha Health Campus | WA | WA Country Health Service | 1 days | 51 |
| Monash Medical Centre [Clayton] | Vic | Monash Health | 3 days | 943 |
| John Hunter Hospital | NSW | Hunter New England | 4 days | 154 |
| Concord Repatriation Hospital | NSW | Sydney | 8 days | 936 |
| St John of God Midland Public Hospital | WA | East Metropolitan Health Service (WA) | 9 days | 190 |
| Dandenong Hospital | Vic | Monash Health | 11 days | 2,708 |
| Casey Hospital | Vic | Monash Health | 11 days | 629 |
| Sunshine Hospital | Vic | Western Health (Vic) | 11 days | 1,778 |
| The Northern Hospital [Epping] | Vic | Northern Health (Vic) | 12 days | 1,117 |
| Royal Prince Alfred Hospital | NSW | Sydney | 13 days | 548 |
| The Alfred | Vic | Alfred Health (Vic) | 13 days | 1,867 |
| Royal Melbourne Hospital [City Campus] | Vic | Melbourne Health | 14 days | 1,314 |
| South Coast District Hospital | SA | Barossa Hills Fleurieu | 14 days | 240 |
| Jamestown Hospital and Health Service | SA | Yorke and Northern | 14 days | 10 |
Common questions
How long is the public waiting list for plastic surgery operations in Australia?
Half of patients admitted from public hospital waiting lists for plastic surgery operations waited 26 days or less (national median, 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30). By state it ranged from 17 days (Vic) to 34 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.