This report presents state and territory performance results for public hospital capacity, emergency department (ED) waiting and treatment times, planned surgery waiting and treatment times; as well as hospital expenditure. 

While some short-term improvements are noted, the report notes increasing wait times for essential surgeries and longer waits for patients in EDs. Without increased investment in the health system by both state and federal governments, capacity will continue to fall, and already overworked hospital staff will continue to be impacted with increasing rates of burnout. 

The report calls for a new fit-for-purpose National Health Reform Agreement, funding for public hospitals to improve their performance and increase capacity, and an independent national health workforce planning agency.

Findings

• Performance during 2023–24 remaining markedly worse than it was five years ago across all states and territories.
• 55% of ED presentations across Australia were completed within the benchmark target of four hours.
• A third of all patients triaged as 'emergency' were not seen on time, up from a quarter five years earlier.
• The number of beds available for every 1,000 Australians aged over 65 remains at a record low number of 14.3, less than half of the capacity in the early 1990s.
• The percentage of category two patients having their surgery on time (within 90 days) has fallen from 83% to 71% in five years.
• Improvements compared to 2022–23 include: the percentage of patients triaged as emergency being seen on time, the proportion of category 2 planned surgery patients being seen on time, a drop in the median waiting time for planned surgery, and an increase in the number of public hospital beds available.