Logjam in numbers

Tasmania

For Category 2 elective surgeries — such as treatment for a brain aneurysm — only 54 per cent of patients were admitted within the clinically recommended time of 90 days in 2023–24. Only 50 per cent of emergency department presentations were completed within four hours or less during 2023–24.

Australian Capital Territory

Only 51 per cent of Emergency Department Triage Category 3 (urgent) patients — for example patients who had severely high blood pressure — were seen within the recommended 30 minutes in 2023–24. For Category 2 elective surgeries — such as treatment for a brain aneurysm — only 45 per cent of patients were admitted within the clinically recommended time of 90 days in 2023–24.

Victoria

The average overdue wait time for Category 2 elective surgeries — such as removal of ovarian cysts — was more than 200 days in 2023–24 — that is on top of the recommended 90 days for Category 2 surgeries.

Queensland

Almost half (48 per cent) of emergency department presentations took longer than four hours in 2023–24, up from just 23 per cent in 2014-15.

New South Wales

The median waiting time for planned surgery in New South Wales remains the highest in the nation at 65 days in 2023–24, which is 19 days longer than the national average.

South Australia

In 2023–24, only 38 per cent of Category 3 emergency department patients were seen within the clinically recommended time of 30 minutes. SA’s performance in this metric has fallen for each of the last five years, as has the percentage of ED presentations being completed in four hours or less.

Western Australia

In 2023–24, less than a third (32 per cent) of Emergency Department Triage Category 3 (urgent) patients — for example patients who had moderate blood loss — were seen within the recommended 30 minutes. This is 29 per cent less than the national average and a 20 per cent drop in only four years, highlighting the immense stress being placed on patients and staff in WA’s EDs.

Northern Territory

In 2023–24, the Northern Territory was unable to provide statistics relating to their elective surgery performance. However, just 41 per cent of Triage Category 3 (urgent) patients — for example patients who were acutely psychotic — were seen within the recommended 30 minutes.