Budget delivers more surgeries sooner for Queenslanders

• The Crisafulli Government is investing $1.8 billion over four years to stabilise the elective surgery waiting list. 
• The funding includes $1.27 billion for the Surgery Connect program, which will deliver an extra 30,000 surgeries in the next 12 months. 
• The Crisafulli Government’s Surgery Connect Surge has delivered the largest decrease in the elective surgery waitlist in the past decade – a 2,750 drop in April.  

The Crisafulli Government is delivering health services when Queenslanders need them, with a record investment into elective surgeries, to stabilise the elective surgery waitlist.  

$1.8 billion will be invested over four years to boost the number of elective surgeries across the State, as part of the Crisafulli Government’s plan to heal Labor’s Health Crisis. 

The Crisafulli Government’s 2025-26 Budget builds on the successful Surgery Connect Surge, with 12,000 extra surgeries referred to the program between February and June 30 this year.  

The program was also responsible for the single largest decrease in the elective surgery waitlist in the past decade – when the wait list number dropped by 2,750 in April. The downward trend continuing in May, with a further drop of 1,495. 

Under the former Labor Government, the number of Queenslanders waiting for elective surgery doubled and the Crisafulli Government has committed to stabilising the waitlist by Christmas, restoring health services when Queenslanders need them most. 

Surgery Connect is expected to deliver 30,000 elective surgeries in 2025-26 alone, including hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery.  

The Crisafulli Government’s Budget also delivers record funding to public health services with a fully-funded Hospital Rescue Plan, which will provide more than 2,600 new beds statewide, three new and 10 expanded hospitals, and new and upgraded health and ambulance facilities.  

The Budget is also delivering funding to grow our health workforce by 46,000 health professionals by 2032, including more than 4,500 additional staff in the next year.   

Premier David Crisafulli said the Easier Access to Health Services Plan would deliver health services when Queenslanders needed them most.  

“This is more surgeries for more Queenslanders sooner, delivering the health services when they’re needed most,” Premier Crisafulli said. 

“To heal Labor’s Health Crisis we’re delivering easier access to healthcare, reducing ambulance ramping, and providing more life changing elective surgeries.” 

Minister for Health and Ambulance Minister Tim Nicholls said the Crisafulli Government was continuing to work on stabilising the elective surgery waitlist.  

“The elective surgery waitlist is Queenslanders waiting to receive life-changing surgeries – and we’re delivering them sooner,” Minister Nicholls said.