For the fifth year running, the ACT has the longest emergency department wait times, and the lowest proportion of ED patients seen on time, according to an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report published this week. But it also had its second highest year of elective surgeries, and some of the lowest waiting times for elective surgeries in the country.

Emergency department

According to AIHW data about emergency department care, the median waiting time in the ACT was 47 minutes – more than double, and nearly half an hour longer than the national median waiting time of 20 minutes; 10 per cent of patients waited for nearly three and a half hours, nearly 90 minutes longer than the national average; and 48 per cent of patients were seen on time, compared to 67 per cent nationally. At the same time, presentations fell by 6.5 per cent since 2020–21.

The ACT also had the longest emergency department waiting times in the country, as it had done since 2017–18.

Median waiting time (minutes):

It also had the lowest proportion of emergency department patients seen on time, once again since 2017–18 (percentage).

An ACT Government spokesperson said that Canberra’s hospital emergency departments perform around average when they are compared with their peers.

“For Canberra Hospital, among its peers – the biggest hospitals in the country – there is nowhere that treats category 1 or 2 presentations quicker on average.

“Canberra Health Services and Calvary Public Hospital Bruce work to ensure any patient in need of urgent attention (Category 1) receives treatment within recommended clinical timelines.

“The ACT doesn’t have multiple smaller hospitals that bigger jurisdictions do that skew the numbers, but comparing apples with apples paints a very different picture.

“The ACT also has the fewest GP’s per capita of any jurisdiction, and lowest rates of bulk billing which drives increased presentations to our emergency departments.”

But Canberra Liberals MLA Leanne Castley, Shadow Minister for Health, said the AIHW report painted a damning picture.

“These figures are simply unacceptable,” she said.

“Each year, the Labor-Greens government tells Canberrans that they are implementing new models and reviewing their practices, yet they continue to languish at the bottom of the list for ED performance in the country.

“Public hospitals are meant to provide reliable assistance to patients who require urgent and specialised care for themselves or loved ones, and the Labor-Greens government has not been able to deliver this for the community since 2017–18.

“What is concerning is that the latest quarterly report showed that more than 3,300 Canberrans were leaving ED without being seen because of excessive wait times.

“We know that the Labor-Greens government have reduced beds in 2015-16 by 150 against their own demand forecast in 2011. The government has continued to underfund infrastructure, staff, and resources in our hospitals, and, unfortunately, the AIHW report shows that these decisions have made us the worst in the country.

“This Labor-Greens government has ripped money away from the health system over a number of years to pay for the tram, and this is the result of not prioritising our health system,” Ms Castley concluded.

The government spokesperson responded that the ACT Government will invest a record $2.6 billion across the health portfolio this year, “delivering more frontline healthcare workers, new state-of-the-art facilities, and better care in the community”.

To support the health workforce and improve performance, the 2021-22 Budget included $23 million to boost Canberra Hospital’s emergency Department, and funding to deliver 24/7 imaging at Calvary Hospital’s emergency department.

“The 2022-23 Budget continued our record investment in health and boosted allied health services in Canberra Hospital’s emergency department to help people get out of hospital and recovering quicker,” the spokesperson said.

“These commitments help deliver on our election commitment to employ 400 more frontline health care workers over this term of Government. More doctors, more nurses, more midwives, more allied health professionals. Through the funding made through the first three budgets of this term, we have delivered this ahead of schedule.”

Elective surgeries

According to another AIHW report published today, 14,033 Canberrans were admitted to elective surgeries this year – the second highest year ever, an ACT Government spokesperson said. There was a 9.4 per cent drop since 2020–21 (when 15,348 people were admitted), but more surgeries than in the previous three years.

Admissions from waiting lists for elective surgery, state and territories, 2017–18 to 2021–22

“The ACT Government has made significant investments to improve elective surgery performance, including an extra $30 million over the next four years,” a spokesperson said. “With this additional funding, the ACT Government has committed to delivering 60,000 elective surgeries over the next four years.

Canberra Hospital delivered 98 per cent of its overall elective surgery target; the Private Provider Program achieve 101 per cent of its overall elective surgery; and Calvary Public Hospital Bruce achieved 90 per cent of its overall elective surgery despite the combined impact of COVID-19 and Territory directions that non-urgent elective surgeries be ceased at Calvary for a period of time, the spokesperson said.

The ACT had the best timeliness outcome in the past five years, with the lowest national wait times for plastic and reconstructive surgery and second lowest for urological and ophthalmological surgeries.