CANBERRA’s emergency departments are still waiting longer for treatment than patients in other states, according to new figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The figures show the ACT is the only state or territory where emergency response times did not improve over the past five years, with the average waiting time for emergency care increasing to 44 minutes in the last financial year, from 38 minutes in 2011-12.

Only 51 per cent of patients were seen within the recommended timeframe, down from 55 per cent the year before – the worst result of any jurisdiction and well below the national average of 73 per cent.

The national median waiting time was 19 minutes, with South Australia, at 16 minutes, and New South Wales, at 17 minutes, the best performing jurisdictions.