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Surgery Waits

Where published waits differ across a state border

The biggest published cross-border difference in 2024–25 was 427 days. The median wait for Eardrum repair was 736 days at Lismore Base Hospital in New South Wales, and 309 days at Gold Coast University Hospital, 95 kilometres away in Queensland.

The figures are for 2024–25. The data was released on 19 August 2026.

This page compares the published median waits for the same surgery at pairs of public hospitals. The two hospitals in a pair are in different states and lie within 100 kilometres of each other.

The 25 biggest published differences

This table scrolls sideways on a narrow screen.

Public hospitals in different states within 100 kilometres of each other that both published a median wait for the same surgery, ranked by the difference. Each row pairs a hospital with the hospital in the other state that has the largest difference. The table shows the 25 largest differences and every row that shares the last difference shown, so it can have more than 25 rows.2024–25, released 19 August 2026
RankSurgeryHospital with the longer medianHospital in the other stateDistanceDifference
1Eardrum repairLismore Base Hospital NSW · 736 daysGold Coast University Hospital QLD · 309 days95 kilometres427 days
2Prolapse repairRoyal Brisbane & Women's Hospital QLD · 363 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 28 days96 kilometres335 days
3Prolapse repairIpswich Hospital QLD · 343 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 28 days99 kilometres315 days
4Prolapse repairQueen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital QLD · 340 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 28 days84 kilometres312 days
5Shoulder joint replacementIpswich Hospital QLD · 339 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 35 days99 kilometres304 days
6Knee replacementRoyal Brisbane & Women's Hospital QLD · 384 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 97 days96 kilometres287 days
7Shoulder joint replacementQueen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital QLD · 305 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 35 days84 kilometres270 days
8Dupuytren's contracture surgeryRobina Hospital QLD · 347 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 81 days20 kilometres266 days
9Dupuytren's contracture surgeryGold Coast University Hospital QLD · 344 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 81 days29 kilometres263 days
10Keyhole sinus surgeryThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 340 daysGold Coast University Hospital QLD · 81 days29 kilometres259 days
11Knee replacementLogan Hospital QLD · 350 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 97 days69 kilometres253 days
12Knee replacementRobina Hospital QLD · 338 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 97 days20 kilometres241 days
13Knee replacementQueen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital QLD · 337 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 97 days84 kilometres240 days
14TonsillectomySurgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service QLD · 339 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 109 days96 kilometres230 days
15Hiatus hernia repairLismore Base Hospital NSW · 301 daysGold Coast University Hospital QLD · 78 days95 kilometres223 days
16Hip replacementRoyal Brisbane & Women's Hospital QLD · 269 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 68 days96 kilometres201 days
17Pterygium (eye growth) removalMurwillumbah District Hospital NSW · 275 daysPrincess Alexandra Hospital QLD · 76 days98 kilometres199 days
18Prolapse repairRobina Hospital QLD · 223 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 28 days20 kilometres195 days
18Shoulder joint replacementRoyal Brisbane & Women's Hospital QLD · 230 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 35 days96 kilometres195 days
20Knee replacementSurgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service QLD · 283 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 97 days96 kilometres186 days
21Varicose vein surgeryGold Coast University Hospital QLD · 324 daysLismore Base Hospital NSW · 139 days95 kilometres185 days
21Deviated septum surgeryThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 363 daysIpswich Hospital QLD · 178 days99 kilometres185 days
23TonsillectomyMater Adult Hospital QLD · 293 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 109 days92 kilometres184 days
24TonsillectomyLogan Hospital QLD · 278 daysMurwillumbah District Hospital NSW · 99 days77 kilometres179 days
25Keyhole joint surgeryRoyal Brisbane & Women's Hospital QLD · 223 daysThe Tweed Hospital NSW · 50 days96 kilometres173 days

How this is calculated

  • Both hospitals published a median wait for the same surgery in the period. Only published figures enter the calculation.
  • The two hospitals are in different states and lie within the stated distance, measured in a straight line between their recorded locations. The distance is approximate and is not a road distance.
  • The difference describes two published medians only. A person's own wait depends on their case, and this page does not recommend travel.
  • Each hospital appears once for each surgery, against the hospital across the border with the largest difference.

How to read these figures

A median wait describes surgery that already happened. It does not judge a hospital, because hospitals differ in the cases they treat and in the number of people they serve.

This site calls no hospital best or worst. A figure that is not published never counts as a number.

Each page below shows the same published medians from a different angle.

What these figures leave out

Private hospitals are excluded. These pages cover public hospitals only, so they show no private hospital. They also leave out closed hospitals and any figure that is not published.

Before you use these figures

Surgery Waits is not medical advice. Your general practitioner and your treating specialist can help you decide what is right for you.

In an emergency, call 000.

Where this data comes from

  • Dataset on publicdata.au
    Elective surgery waiting times by hospital and intended procedure, Australia
    Publisher
    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    Version
    20 October 2026
    Data released
    19 August 2026
    Licence
    CC BY 4.0
    How to cite this data
    Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, MyHospitals Data API, elective surgery waiting times data extract, sourced 19 October 2026, https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/au-elective-surgery-waiting-times-by-procedure/v/2026-10-20/
  • Dataset on publicdata.au
    Hospitals, Local Hospital Networks and Primary Health Networks in MyHospitals, Australia
    Publisher
    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    Version
    3 October 2026
    Data released
    19 August 2026
    Licence
    CC BY 4.0
    How to cite this data
    Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, MyHospitals Data API, mapping details extract, sourced 3 October 2026, https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/au-hospitals-myhospitals/v/2026-10-03/
  • Dataset on publicdata.au
    Reported measures and their codes in MyHospitals, Australia
    Publisher
    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    Version
    27 October 2026
    Data released
    The publisher gives no release date for this dataset.
    Licence
    CC BY 4.0
    How to cite this data
    Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, MyHospitals Data API, reported measures, sourced 26 October 2026, https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/au-myhospitals-reported-measures/v/2026-10-27/
  • Dataset on publicdata.au
    Reporting unit mappings to health networks and states in MyHospitals, Australia
    Publisher
    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    Version
    27 October 2026
    Data released
    The publisher gives no release date for this dataset.
    Licence
    CC BY 4.0
    How to cite this data
    Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, MyHospitals Data API, reporting units, sourced 26 October 2026, https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/au-myhospitals-reporting-unit-mappings/v/2026-10-27/
  • Dataset on publicdata.au
    Reporting unit codes and alternative names in MyHospitals, Australia
    Publisher
    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
    Version
    27 October 2026
    Data released
    The publisher gives no release date for this dataset.
    Licence
    CC BY 4.0
    How to cite this data
    Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, MyHospitals Data API, reporting units, sourced 26 October 2026, https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/au-myhospitals-reporting-units/v/2026-10-27/