Public hospital admissions for elective surgery were the highest on record in 2023–24, according to new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), indicating a return to pre-COVID levels of elective surgical activity.

There were 771,600 admissions from public hospital elective surgery waitlists in 2023–24 (excluding the Northern Territory*), a 5% increase from 735,500 in 2022–23. 

These findings are contained in new updates to the AIHW’s MyHospitals platform, showing national, state and hospital-level elective surgery wait times and emergency department presentations in 2023–24. 

‘While most elective surgeries performed in Australia are undertaken in private hospitals, the information presented in this update provides an overview of elective surgeries from public hospital waitlists,’ said AIHW spokesperson Clara Jellie.

‘The increase in the number of admissions from public hospital elective surgery waitlists follows a period of considerable disruption to the health system as a result of the pandemic, where we saw fluctuations in the numbers of elective surgeries being performed as outbreaks of COVID-19 impacted patients, and the availability of hospital staff and resources.

‘Elective surgeries are procedures that are deemed medically necessary, but are planned surgeries that are not conducted as a result of an emergency presentation, and as a result, may be subject to delays.’

The largest increases in elective surgery admissions compared with 2022–23 was seen in the Australian Capital Territory (19%) and Victoria (10%). Over a 5-year period, the largest increases in admissions were in Tasmania (10% annual average increase since 2019–20), and in Victoria (4.9%). 

Cataract extraction was the most common procedure for those admitted from an elective surgery waitlist, accounting for 11% of all intended procedures. 

Although the most common surgical specialty associated with admissions was general surgery, representing 20% of all surgeries, the areas of surgical speciality that have seen the greatest percentage increases in admissions from elective surgery waitlists were vascular surgery (12% increase compared with 2022–23) and paediatric surgery (8.2% annual average growth since 2019–20). 

Improvements in waiting times for elective surgery waitlist admissions have also been recorded, according to the new updates released today.

Half (50%) of all patients were admitted within 46 days in 2023–24, an improvement from 49 days in 2022–23. Nine in 10 (90%) patients were admitted within 329 days – down from 361 days in 2022–23. Around 6.4% of patients waited more than a year – down from 9.6% in the previous reporting period (2022–23).

The number of emergency department presentations increased by 0.4% in 2023–24, with 8.83 million emergency department presentations (excluding the Northern Territory) compared with 8.80 million in 2022–23. 

Around 2 in 3 (67%) emergency department patients were ‘seen on time’ for their urgency category, a slight increase from 65% in 2022–23. 

Nearly 100% of resuscitation patients were seen immediately, and 67% of those categorised as emergency cases (where clinical care should start within 10 minutes) were seen on time. These patients accounted for 18% of all emergency department presentations; the remaining 82% were categorised as urgent, semi-urgent or non-urgent patients. 

*The AIHW expects to update published information to include data for Northern Territory once finalised.*