Surgery Connect Surge reducing surgery waitlist

• Over 12,300 Queenslanders have come off the surgery waitlist thanks to the Crisafulli Government's Surgery Connect Surge program.
• This exceeds the 10,000 target set by the Crisafulli Government when the Surgery Connect Surge program was announced and marks the biggest drop in the waitlist over a six-month period since July 2015.
• More than $1.75 billion over four years is being delivered in the Budget to continue to stabilise the elective surgery waitlist, in line with the Government's commitment for a fresh start.

The Crisafulli Government’s focus on reducing the waitlist is paying dividends, with 5,400 fewer Queenslanders waiting for surgery compared to the all-time high reached in December last year.  

The surge in elective surgeries through the Surgery Connect Surge initiative, has led to the largest decrease in numbers in a six-month period since July 2015. 

Labor’s Health Crisis left a record 66,632 Queenslanders on the waitlist in December 2024. 

Under the chaos and crisis of Labor the elective surgery waitlist increased year on year over a decade.

Today that number has fallen to 61,232.

The $100 million Surgery Connect Surge was announced in February and has already over-delivered on its target, with 12,300 Queenslanders accessing the program. 

Given the success of the Surgery Connect Surge, the Crisafulli Government is delivering a record $1.75 billion over four years for additional surgeries. This will help deliver 30,000 elective surgeries in this financial year alone.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the Crisafulli Government was easing Labor’s Health Crisis through its investment in the Surgery Connect program, partnering with private sector providers to restore health services and help Queenslanders receive their surgeries sooner. 

“The Crisafulli Government is delivering on its commitment to stabilise the elective surgery waitlist as we lay the foundation to heal Labor’s Health Crisis,” Minister Nicholls said.

“The drop in the number of people on the elective surgery waitlist is a significant achievement after it doubled over the past decade under Labor, and while it proves what we are doing is working, we won’t stop there.

“We want more Queenslanders getting the treatment they need sooner and the 2025-26 Budget delivers a long-term plan to make this happen. 

“Queenslanders now have faster access to crucial surgeries fixing knees, hips and eyesight because of these investments.

“These are early positive signs but there is plenty more to do, given the waitlist almost doubled from 35,400 Queenslanders in July 2015 to over 66,000 in December last year.” 

ENDS