CANBERRA’S public hospitals have recorded a significant improvement in elective surgery performance but continue to have the longest median waiting times in Australia.

A report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which provides elective surgery performance data for all states and territories in 2010-11, shows the median waiting time ranged from 27 days in Queensland – the lowest waiting time – to 63 days in the ACT.

But the report revealed the territory’s median waiting time decreased from 76 days to to 63 days between 2010-11 and 2011-12.

A recorded 6.2 per cent of patients had waited at least 365 days for surgery, down from 10.8 per cent in in 2010-11.

Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher says while she is pleased with the results there is still “more to do” to tackle the waiting lists.

”Our median waiting times are down, our long waits are down and we’re performing record numbers of operations. This is a credit to the hard work of the staff in our health system,” she says.

”This report shows growing demand for surgery, which is why ACT Labor has pledged to do an extra 5000 operations if re-elected.”