Overdue surgery wait list slashed by 6,000

MORE than 6,000 overdue surgeries have been cleared in New South Wales since the end of March, with almost 12,000 cut from the waitlist since March 2023.

Health minister Ryan Park said the government was determined to keep driving down wait times.

“This government is absolutely determined to ensure that everyone who needs surgery in NSW gets it as quickly as possible,” Park said.

The NSW Government has committed $23 million in the 2025–26 Budget to further reduce the number of patients waiting longer than clinically recommended. That funding builds on the $186 million provided at the end of 2024, which health officials say has already eased pressure.

By the end of June, around 2,500 patients were waiting beyond recommended timeframes — down from more than 8,500 at the end of March.

Park credited hospital staff for helping cut the list.

“I want to say a massive thank you to NSW Health staff, with many working on additional theatre lists on evenings and weekends to allow more procedures to be performed,” he said.

He added the government would continue to expand same-day surgeries where it was safe to do so.