Elective surgery waiting lists in the ACT have increased by 30 per cent September 2022, according to Freedom of Information figures from Canberra Health Services. 

The figures also show that of the 7620 patients in the queue, 2200 (or 30 per cent) are waiting longer than clinically recommended, up from 23 per cent in 2022.

The figures were released to opposition health spokeswoman Leanne Castley, who says they show a further 1233 patients who, for clinical or personal reasons, are “not ready for care”, “which means there are actually 8853 Canberrans on the elective surgery waitlists”.

“More and more Canberrans are living in pain and discomfort, while waitlists continue to grow,” she says. “Thirty-eight per cent of urgent urology patients and 64 per cent of semi-urgent orthopaedic surgery patients are now waiting longer than clinically recommended.”