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Chris Stanley

Chris Stanley

Updated 11/07/2024

Hospital wait times: private vs public

There are some key differences between how long you’ll wait for emergency treatment and elective surgery in public vs private hospitals. 

  • Public hospital wait times for emergency treatment are typically categorised by the urgency of the patients’ situation, and vary widely between states.

  • Public hospital wait times for elective surgery also vary widely between states and surgery type. Public patients cannot typically choose their preferred hospital and doctor.

  • Waiting lists for elective surgery at private hospitals are usually significantly shorter. And if you have appropriate private health insurance, you can typically choose your preferred hospital and doctor.

Public hospital wait times: Emergency 

Public hospital wait times: Emergency (national)

Nationally, in 2022-23 patients waited longer, on average, in public hospital emergency departments than in 2019-20 and 2021-22. 

In 2022-23: 

  •  90% of emergency patients were seen within 124 minutes.

  • 50% of patients were seen within 20 minutes.

  •  65% of patients were ‘seen on time’ for their triage category.

  • The overall proportion of patients ‘seen on time’ has decreased slightly since 2021–22 (67%).

Public hospital wait times: Emergency (by state)

In 2022-23, New South Wales, Queensland and Victorian public hospitals recorded shorter average emergency department waiting times for 90% of patients than the national average. 

Public hospitals in Tasmania, Northern Territory, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia all recorded longer shorter average emergency department waiting times for 90% of patients than the national average. 

90% of patients in South Australia, on average, experienced the longest emergency wait times in public hospitals. 

 Table 1.1: Emergency public hospital wait times by state in 2022-23

Hospital wait times NSW (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 100 minutes

Hospital wait times VIC (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 114 minutes

Hospital wait times QLD (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 91 minutes

Hospital wait times WA (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 191 minutes

Hospital wait times SA (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 212 minutes

Hospital wait times TAS (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 143 minutes

Hospital wait times ACT (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 191 minutes

Hospital wait times NT (emergency)

90% of patients were seen within 161 minutes

Public hospital wait times: Emergency (by triage category – national)

When a patient first enters a hospital emergency department, a nurse will typically assess their symptoms and categorise the patient based on the urgency of their situation. 

This is called ‘triage’. It helps hospital staff ensure patients that require the most urgent care are prioritised. 

Five triage categories are generally used in public hospitals in Australia: 

  • Resuscitation

  • Emergency

  • Urgent

  • Semi-urgent

  • Non-urgent 

Table 1.2: National public hospital emergency wait times by triage category in 2022-23

Triage category 

National average

Resuscitation

90% of emergency patients were seen within 1 minute

Emergency

90% of emergency patients were seen within 33 minutes

Urgent

90% of emergency patients were seen within 128 minutes

Semi-urgent

90% of emergency patients were seen within 151 minutes

Non-urgent

90% of emergency patients were seen within 133 minutes

Public hospital wait times: Emergency (by triage category – by state)

In 2022-23, resuscitation triage wait times were minimal across all states, ranging from 0 to 2 minutes, which indicates an immediate response to the most critical emergencies.

South Australia recorded the longest wait time (59 minutes) for emergency triage, while Western Australia has the shortest (24 minutes). Most other states range between 26 and 38 minutes.

There is a notable disparity in wait times for urgent and semi-urgent categories among states. For instance, South Australia and Western Australia recorded longer wait times compared to New South Wales and Queensland across these categories.

Table 1.3: State public hospital emergency wait times for 90% of patients by triage category in 2022-23

Triage category 

NSW

VIC

QLD

WA

SA

TAS

ACT

NT

Resuscitation

1 minute

1 minute

2 minutes

0 minutes

0 minutes

0 minutes

1 minute

0 minutes

Emergency

27 minutes

35 minutes

33 minutes

24 minutes

59 minutes

36 minutes

26 minutes

38 minutes

Urgent

92 minutes

110 minutes

93 minutes

222 minutes

260 minutes

145 minutes

194 minutes

147 minutes

Semi-urgent

127 minutes

148 minutes

113 minutes

205 minutes

213 minutes

170 minutes

219 minutes

190 minutes

Non-urgent

117 minutes

138 minutes

114 minutes

155 minutes

191 minutes

173 minutes

199 minutes

165 minutes

Public hospital wait times: Elective surgery 

Public hospital wait times: Elective surgery (national)

Nationally, in 2022-23, public hospital waiting times for almost all elective procedures were longer than in 2021-22.

In 2022-23: 

  • 50% of patients were admitted for elective surgery within 49 days, an increase from 40 days in 2021–22.

  • 9.6% of patients waited longer than 365 days to be admitted for elective surgery, an increase from 6.3% in 2021–22.

  • The median waiting time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people (56 days) was higher than for other Australians (49 days).

Public hospital wait times: Elective surgery (by state)

In 2022-23, 90% of patients in New South Wales waited longer, on average, for surgery in public hospitals, and was the only state or territory to exceed the national average.

Over the same period, 90% of patients in Queensland experienced the shortest wait times, on average, for surgery in public hospitals.

Elective surgery wait times of 90% of patients in public hospitals in Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia were all shorter the national average.

Table 1.4: Elective surgery public hospital wait times by state in 2022-23 

Hospital wait times NSW (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 400 days

Hospital wait times VIC (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 357 days

Hospital wait times QLD (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 307 days

Hospital wait times WA (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 344 days

Hospital wait times SA (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 335 days

Hospital wait times TAS (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 358 days

Hospital wait times ACT (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 328 days

Hospital wait times NT (surgery)

90% of patients were admitted within 321 days

Public hospital wait times: Elective surgery (by clinical category)

In 2022-23, public hospital wait times for similar surgeries varied significantly between states.

Across all states, head and neck surgeries had the longest wait times, often exceeding 500 days. The wait time was longest in Victoria (602 days) and shortest in South Australia (384 days).

Plastic and reconstructive surgery wait times were the shortest overall. Northern Territory recorded the shortest waiting time (72 days), and Tasmania the next shortest (155 days).

Table 1.5: Public hospital wait times for 90% of patients by type of surgery and state in 2022-23 

Type of surgery

NSW

VIC

QLD

WA

SA

TAS

ACT

NT

Cardio-thoracic 

85 days

131 days

108 days

206 days

82 days

119 days

56 days

N/A

Head and neck 

518 days

602 days

401 days

582 days

384 days

388 days

556 days

489 days

Gynaecology

297 days

344 days

270 days

202 days

347 days

396 days

298 days

126 days

Neurosurgery

428 days

421 days

175 days

218 days

145 days

328 days

239 days

N/A

Ophthalmology

434 days

335 days

321 days

356 days

338 days

287 days

385 days

588 days

Orthopedic

490 days

472 days

397 days

454 days

369 days

641 days

483 days

392 days

Plastic and reconstructive

272 days

325 days

252 days

254 days

237 days

155 days

191 days

72 days

Urological

206 days

182 days

105 days

160 days

180 days

125 days

157 days

145 days

Vascular

305 days

321 days

144 days

171 days

191 days

213 days

83 days

191 days

Paediatric

350 days

394 days

N/A

317 days

180 days

134 days

330 days

N/A

How to check hospital wait times

Depending on where you live, you may be able to check public hospital wait times for emergency departments online. 

For example, New South Wales and Victoria both post real-time emergency wait times at participating hospitals online. 

In the public hospital system, wait times for elective surgery vary widely between states and the type of procedure. 

General guidelines for public hospital wait times for elective surgery are:

  • Urgent surgery: Should be performed within 30 days.

  • Semi-urgent surgery: Should be performed within 90 days.

  • Non-urgent surgery: Should be performed within 365 days.  

What elective surgeries have the longest wait times

Hospital wait times for elective surgeries vary widely between states. See table 1.5 above 

Compare Club makes comparing health insurance fast and easy. 

Sources

Emergency department care access, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Elective surgery, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Elective surgery access, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Emergency department care access

Elective surgery waiting times, Australian Patients Association

Things You Should Know

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This guide is opinion only and should not be taken as medical or financial advice. Check with a financial/medical professional before making any decisions.

Chris Stanley is the sales & operations manager of health insurance at Compare Club. With extensive experience and expertise, Chris is a trusted leader known for his deep understanding of health insurance markets, policies, and coverage options. As the sales & operations manager of health insurance, Chris leads a team of dedicated professionals committed to helping individuals and families make informed decisions about their health insurance needs.

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Meet our health insurance expert, Chris Stanley

Chris's top health insurance tips

  • 1

    Australia’s public health system is world-class, but wait times for public hospitals can be long, inconvenient - and leave you living in constant pain while you wait.

  • 2

    An appropriate private health insurance policy can speed up your surgery, relieving your pain sooner.

  • 3

    Family health cover means your children are covered under the same policy as you.

  • 4

    Many health insurance policies come with a 12-month waiting period for pregnancy-related cover, so it’s a good idea to get a family policy organized well before starting your family. This means your child will be covered from birth until at least their early twenties (depending on which health fund you select).