How long are public hospital waiting times?

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Hospital waiting times for elective surgery are longer in the public system compared to private.
The average public hospital waiting time was 43 days during 2022–23.
Hospital waiting times for many procedures increased between 2021–22 and 2022-23.

Which treatments have the longest waiting lists?

Of the 15 most common surgeries in Australia during 2022–23, the longest waiting times in public hospitals were for:

Total knee replacement

308 days

Total hip replacement

175 days

Tonsillectomy

174 days

Here's a breakdown of the longest median waiting times for specific treatments in Australia over the past 5 years:

Treatment	2018–19	2019–20	2020–21	2021–22	2022–23
Cataract extraction	84 days	98 days	172 days	158 days	133 days
Cystoscopy	24 days	23 days	26 days	24 days	26 days
Skin lesion	25 days	24 days	25 days	23 days	26 days
Hysteroscopy	27 days	28 days	29 days	27 days	28 days
Cholecystectomy	45 days	48 days	56 days	53 days	59 days
Total knee replacement	209 days	223 days	308 days	293 days	308 days
Inguinal herniorrhaphy	59 days	67 days	76 days	77 days	82 days
Tonsillectomy	125 days	130 days	253 days	168 days	174 days
Total hip replacement	119 days	120 days	179 days	153 days	175 days
Breast lump	16 days	16 days	16 days	16 days	17 days
Herniorrhaphy	69 days	78 days	92 days	97 days	108 days
Prostate biopsy	29 days	28 days	29 days	28 days	30 days
Laparoscopy	57 days	64 days	79 days	78 days	82 days
Arthroscopy	75 days	76 days	89 days	85 days	86 days
Carpal tunnel release	62 days	70 days	80 days	82 days	83 days

Public hospital waiting times from state to state

Public hospital waiting lists in New South Wales were the longest (69 days).
Public hospital waiting times in NT (29 days) were the shortest.
Public hospital waiting lists in NSW were almost double the length of Victoria.

State	Days waited at the 50th percentile
Public hospital waiting times in ACT	49 days
Public hospital waiting times in NSW	69 days
Public hospital waiting times in NT	29 days
Public hospital waiting times in QLD	40 days
Public hospital waiting times in SA	49 days
Public hospital waiting times in TAS	53 days
Public hospital waiting times in VIC	36 days
Public hospital waiting times in WA	51 days

How do surgery hospital waiting lists work for public vs private patients?

Public hospitals

Public hospitals are often very busy, so they need to prioritise treatment in order of urgency.

You only need to go onto a waiting list for elective surgery (a procedure that isn't considered an emergency) such as cataract surgery or hip replacement.

If you choose to go through Medicare, you can access free or low-cost hospital care. Your elective surgery can be booked once you've received a specialist medical assessment. After the doctor has confirmed that you need surgery, you'll be placed on a waiting list.

Private hospitals

Private hospitals do have waiting lists for elective surgeries, but they're shorter than public waiting lists, on average. Private hospitals also allow you to choose the doctor you want and offer more flexibility on when you're treated, plus you can often get your own room.

The catch? Unlike Medicare, it's not free. You'll need a hospital insurance policy and if it's a pre-existing condition you want treatment for, like a bad knee, you'll need to have a policy for 12 months before you're covered.

Can wait times be waived if I'm a public patient?

Sometimes, wait times can be waived if you're a public patient, but only if your condition worsens and is considered an emergency. In most cases, the specialist will decide how urgently your procedure is needed and assign you to a specific urgency category. These are:

Category 1: Surgery recommended within 30 days.
Category 2: Surgery recommended within 90 days.
Category 3: Surgery recommended within 365 days.

What category are you?

You can use My Hospitals to find out how long you will likely have to wait for the surgery you need. If you feel your condition has worsened, contact your specialist and you may be reassigned to a more urgent category.

How can health insurance help me to meet the cost of a private treatment?

Once you've served the waiting periods (2 months for most conditions and 12 months for pre-existing conditions), your private health insurance policy will pay for 25% of the MBS fees associated with your procedure and Medicare will pay for the other 75%.

You may still have out of pocket expenses because doctors and surgeons can charge more than the MBS fee. For many people though, the price is worth it because you can get treated sooner.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes, you will still need to serve a waiting period as a private patient in a public hospital. Being a private patient in a public hospital should not shorten your wait time for surgery.
Of course, private health insurance typically lets you get treated at a private hospital. Because public hospitals are generally much busier than private hospitals, this might be a better option if you want to get treated sooner.

Thank you for your feedback!

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Moira Daniels as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise

Gary Ross has written 649 Finder guides across topics including:

Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
Managing the cost of living

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Hospital waiting times

Hospital waiting times in the public system are getting longer largely due to COVID restrictions – but you have other options.

Key takeaways