Elective surgery wait times almost double in 20 years as patients wait longer in emergency

Emergency department patients are waiting longer and longer to be seen.  (Adobe Stock: Gorodenkoff)

Elective surgery wait times are now the longest on record, according to the Australian Medical Association’s Public Hospital Report Card.

Australians are now waiting almost twice as long on average for planned surgery than they were 20 years ago.

Median wait times for planned surgery are at their longest on record at 49 days, compared to 27 days in 2003.

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On top of the growing wait times for planned surgery, the growing population has out-paced the number of hospital beds becoming available.

Between 2017-18 to 2021-22, 1,220 new public hospital beds became available while the Australian population grew by more than one million in the same period.

This decreased public hospital capacity from 2.53 beds per 1,000 people to 2.47 beds per 1,000 people.

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While emergency departments have continued to see the most urgent category 1 cases in the recommended time frames — less urgent category 4 and 5 cases are waiting longer and longer.

In 2022-23, 56 per cent of emergency presentations were completed in the recommended time of four hours or less.

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Despite this, funding for public hospitals has continued to grow. The federal government spent $105.8 billion in the 2020-21 period while states and local government spent $70 billion.

‘Action is needed now’

AMA president Steve Robson said the report demonstrated the need for urgent action on top of existing reform plans.

“Last year we welcomed the federal government’s announcement of a significant public funding boost to the hospital funding agreement and the decision to replace the 6.5 per cent funding growth cap with a more generous approach,” Professor Robson said.

“This announcement followed tireless AMA advocacy for funding reform. But the new agreement will still need more investment and agreement by all health ministers.

“It also doesn’t come into effect until 2025. Urgent action is needed now.

“Australians are now waiting almost twice as long on average for planned surgery than they were 20 years ago, which is unacceptable.”

The AMA will be calling for action ahead of a meeting of health ministers on Friday.

They are asking for the federal and state governments to invest $4.12 billion in a national plan to address the growing backlog of planned surgeries until the new funding agreement is implemented.