In Australian public hospitals, half of patients waited more than 45 days for planned surgery in 2024–25, and some procedures take far longer. Patients using private health insurance are usually admitted sooner. Here are the latest official waiting times and how private cover changes them.
Key points
- Half of patients admitted from public hospital waiting lists in 2024–25 waited more than 45 days for planned surgery.
- For the 25 most common procedures, public patients waited a median 53 days, compared with 28 days for patients using private health insurance.
- Septoplasty had the longest median wait at 320 days, and 31% of patients waited more than a year.
- Waits vary by where you live: the median ranged from 37 days in very remote areas to 49 days in outer regional areas.
- Emergency care is based on medical need and isn't affected by insurance.
How public hospital waiting lists work
Planned (elective) surgery in public hospitals is scheduled by clinical urgency. Your surgeon assigns an urgency category, and hospitals aim to treat you within a recommended time: about 30 days for the most urgent cases, 90 days for semi-urgent and 365 days for non-urgent. Emergency surgery doesn't use the waiting list.
Latest elective surgery waiting times
| Measure, public hospitals 2024–25 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median wait, all elective surgery | 45 days |
| Patients waiting more than a year | About 6% |
| Median wait, public patients (25 most common procedures) | 53 days |
| Median wait, patients using private health insurance (same procedures) | 28 days |
| Longest median wait: septoplasty | 320 days |
| Shortest median: curettage and evacuation of uterus | 4 days |
| Coronary artery bypass graft | 19 days |
| Cataract extraction | 106 days |
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, elective surgery waiting times, 2024–25.
Waits depend on where you live
- By remoteness, the median ranged from 37 days in very remote areas to 49 days in outer regional areas.
- By socioeconomic area, it ranged from 38 days in the least disadvantaged areas to 51 days in the most disadvantaged.
- For tonsillectomy, the median ranged from 176 to 210 days depending on socioeconomic area.
Source: AIHW, waiting times by patient characteristics, 2024–25.
How private health insurance changes your wait
As a private patient you choose your surgeon and agree a date with them, in a private hospital or as a private patient in a public hospital. Even within public hospitals, patients using private insurance were admitted faster for 22 of the 25 most common procedures in 2024–25. To use this, your hospital cover must include the treatment and you must have served any waiting period, usually 2 months, or 12 months for pre-existing conditions.
Read more about hospital-only cover and what each tier includes.
What this means: four examples
These use AIHW 2024–25 medians. Individual waits vary.
Single, 32, needs a septoplasty
Median public wait 320 days, and 31% waited over a year. With Bronze cover or higher and waits served, a private date is usually much sooner.
Couple, 70 and 72, cataracts
Median public wait 106 days. To go private, they need Gold hospital cover, or a Silver Plus or Bronze Plus policy that includes cataracts.
Family, child needs tonsils out
Median waits of 176 to 210 days depending on area. Bronze covers tonsils for private patients.
Single, 60, urgent heart surgery
Bypass surgery had a 19-day median wait. Urgent care is prioritised either way.
Illustrative only. Median figures from AIHW, 2024–25; individual waits depend on urgency and hospital.
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Compare health insuranceHospital waiting times: your questions answered
How long is the wait for elective surgery in Australia?
In public hospitals in 2024–25, half of patients waited more than 45 days. Some procedures, like septoplasty, had medians over 300 days.
Does private health insurance skip the queue?
For planned surgery, private patients are usually admitted sooner. Emergency care is based on medical need regardless of insurance.
Can I be a private patient in a public hospital?
Yes. You can elect to use your cover in a public hospital, which lets you choose your doctor.
Which procedures have the longest waits?
Septoplasty had the longest median wait in 2024–25, at 320 days. Ear, nose and throat and orthopaedic procedures often wait longer.
How are public waiting lists prioritised?
By clinical urgency: about 30 days for urgent, 90 for semi-urgent and 365 for non-urgent cases.
Will private cover help straight away?
After waiting periods: usually 2 months for most treatment, or 12 months for pre-existing conditions.
Sources
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Elective surgery waiting times overview, 2024–25
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Waiting times by patient characteristics, 2024–25
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Waiting times by intended procedure, 2024–25
- Australian Government, privatehealth.gov.au, Waiting periods
Things you should know
This article is general information only and doesn't take your personal circumstances or medical needs into account. Konkrd compares policies from a range of funds. Prices, products and offers change often and vary by state, excess and rebate tier. Read a policy's Private Health Information Statement before buying.
