FairWaitTonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) waiting times in Australia
How long public patients wait for tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy), at each public hospital and in each state — official AIHW figures, checked daily.
Median wait by state and territory
| State / territory | Median wait |
|---|---|
| SA | 111 days |
| Qld | 115 days |
| NT | 116 days |
| Vic | 116 days |
| Tas | 156 days |
| WA | 183 days |
| ACT | 302 days |
| NSW | 322 days |
Shortest waits at public hospitals
The 15 public hospitals with the shortest median wait for tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy), out of 114 reporting.
| Hospital | State | Local health network | Median wait | Operations in the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre | Vic | Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute (Vic) | 6 days | 12 |
| Port Lincoln Health Service | SA | Eyre and Far North | 14 days | 12 |
| Riverland General Hospital | SA | Riverland Mallee Coorong | 26 days | 12 |
| Renmark Paringa District Hospital | SA | Riverland Mallee Coorong | 29 days | 23 |
| Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service | SA | Limestone Coast | 29 days | 28 |
| Royal Prince Alfred Hospital | NSW | Sydney | 40 days | 101 |
| Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital | WA | North Metropolitan Health Service (WA) | 46 days | 36 |
| Cairns Hospital | Qld | Cairns and Hinterland | 47 days | 158 |
| The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital | Vic | Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital | 51 days | 459 |
| Monash Medical Centre [Moorabbin] | Vic | Monash Health | 52 days | 177 |
| Ballarat Health Services [Base Hospital] | Vic | Grampians Health | 55 days | 301 |
| Princess Alexandra Hospital | Qld | Metro South (Qld) | 56 days | 10 |
| Casey Hospital | Vic | Monash Health | 62 days | 319 |
| Monash Medical Centre [Clayton] | Vic | Monash Health | 64 days | 452 |
| The Alfred | Vic | Alfred Health (Vic) | 67 days | 66 |
Common questions
How long is the public waiting list for tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) in Australia?
Half of patients admitted from public hospital waiting lists for tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) waited 182 days or less (national median, 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30). By state it ranged from 111 days (SA) to 322 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. See typical costs on the Medical Costs Finder.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) — MyHospitals, elective surgery waiting times, 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30. Private costs: Medical Costs Finder. All data sources.