Hospital waiting times

Which treatments have the longest waiting lists?

Of the 15 most common surgeries in Australia during 2023–2024, the longest median waiting times in public hospitals were for:

• Septoplasty (332 days): Straightening a deviated nasal septum.
• Total knee replacement (265 days): Replacing a knee joint with an artificial one.
• Myringoplasty/Tympanoplasty (262 days): Repairing a hole in the eardrum or middle ear.

Are public surgery waiting times getting worse?

This year's data show public surgery waiting times are continuing to drop after the peak we saw in the pandemic. However, they're still above the level we saw in 2019, immediately before lockdowns stopped people getting treatment, which spike the numbers. Here are a few key highlights:

• The 2024 46 day median is lower than 2023's 49 days. But in 2020 it was 39 days.
• In 2024 6.4% of patients waited over a year. In 2023 it was 9.6%. In 2020 it was just 2.8%.
• Indigenous Australians waiting longer, with a median wait of 56 days, 10 more than the overall number.

Median surgery waiting time in public hospitals

Here are the median waiting times for surgery in an Australian public hospital. The table lists 15 of the most common surgeries, with wait times for the past 5 years or reporting. Note that this is the median, so indicates the most typical wait time - most patients will wait more or less than this number.

Percentage of patients that waited more than 1 year

Unfortunately, waiting lists for surgery can run long - really long. This table lists the percentage of public patients that waited more than 365 days for their surgery, by surgery type, over time.

Public hospital waiting times from state to state

Public hospitals are administered at the state and territory level, so the wait times change slightly depending on where you live. In 2023-2024, NSW came in worst for the median wait time, with 65 days. Victoria was lowest at 33. The Northern Territory data was unavailable in this dataset, but it has historically been on the lower end.

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.

Surgery wait time categories

When a doctor or specialist books you in for surgery, you will be put into a clinical urgency category for elective surgery. Which category you are in depends on how quickly you need treatment, and will be tailored to you specifically. 2 people with the same diagnosis could potentially be put into different categories depending on the various factors. The 3 clinical categories are called, very creatively:

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

Using private health insurance to cut your waiting time

If you have private hospital insurance when you receive your first diagnosis, you may be able to get treated in a private hospital at a reduced fee. Your policy will need to include cover for the specific treatment you need. You'll need to check your policy or call your health fund to fund out. You'll also need to have already served your 2-month waiting period (12 months for child birth).

If you don't have a policy, or your policy doesn't cover your surgery when you get your diagnosis, then it's a bit more complex. You can still get a new policy that can cover your surgery, but you'll need to wait a 12-month waiting period, because it's now considered a pre-existing condition. However, with public waiting lists as they are, it could be worth considering.

You also have the option of paying out of pocket for private surgery. This could be pretty expensive, but if you have the financial means and want treatment right away, then it's possible.

the cost of private treatment

If you're going private, then you'll have a much shorter wait before you get surgery. Typically it'll be a matter of days or weeks instead of months or years. However, you'll be paying more for it - here's how it might shake out:

• If you have hospital cover you'll pay your policy excess, as well as any out-of-pocket costs, also called the gap, that your health fund doesn't cover. You can find out how much this number will be by calling your health fund before your surgery, or get an estimate on Medical Costs Finder.
• If you don't have hospital cover you'll pay for everything. That means hospital accomodation (starts in the high hundreds per night), aesthetic (starts in the low thousands each round), surgery costs (several thousands, can get into the tens of thousands depending on the procedure) and any extra costs that crop up. You'll likely be asked to pay the estimated costs on admission, then any difference in the final cost later.

Let's just say that if you feel like private treatment is something that matters to you, you probably want to have private health insurance already in place.

Frequently asked questions

• What's the average wait time on a public hospital waiting list?

  The average wait time for elective surgery in a public hospital in Australia was 43 days in 2022–23, according to stats from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

• Are there waiting lists if I'm a private patient in a public hospital?

  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.

Written by

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in news, politics and finance reporting, Tim has previously held roles at the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Media. Tim’s expert insights have been quoted in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. He regularly appears on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on 7 News, Sunrise, SBS News, ABC Local, 3AW and 5AA. Tim is passionate about simplifying complex insurance topics for Australian consumers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Macquarie University and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). If you’re interested in a media interview with Tim, please reach out to our PR team at aupr@finder.com. See full bio

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