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The elective surgery waiting list in New South Wales public hospitals is nearing the pandemic record high, new data shows. The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) has today released its latest Healthcare Quarterly report for the period of January to March 2025. It shows despite the 52,973 elective surgeries representing a rise of 3.6% compared with the same quarter in 2024, the increase in the percentage on the waiting list was even higher. The 100,678 patients on the elective surgery waiting list was up 7.3% (an additional 6,881 patients) and just short of the record peak during the Covid-19 pandemic, the BHI said. Of those patients on the list waiting for surgery at the end of March, 8,587 had waited longer than clinically recommended – a 151.3% increase (an additional 5,170 patients) from the same time a year earlier. The data was more positive for emergency departments which have seen a decrease in semi-urgent and non-urgent presentations over the past year.