NSW public hospitals are increasing access to same day surgery with more procedures becoming part of the initiative that is improving statewide wait times and allowing patients to recover in their own homes.
Same day surgery sees patients arrive, have their procedure and complete their discharge on the same day, where clinically appropriate, avoiding unnecessary hospitalisation.
This benefits the patient who recovers with support in the comfort of their own home and the healthcare system, as staff and additional beds are available for more people.
More than 14,000 bed days were saved after targets were introduced in 2024-25 for eight common, low-complexity procedures that can be performed as a same day surgery, such as hernia procedures and tonsillectomies,
This is the equivalent to creating the capacity for more than 3000 additional patients to receive care within the NSW public health system.
NSW Health is now implementing new targets for a further 14 procedures to incentivise hospitals to deliver more same day surgery.
By introducing these new targets, it is estimated around 3,000 additional bed days will be saved, creating capacity for more than 600 additional patients. The new procedures are:
- Biopsy of lymph nodes
- Removal of bunions
- Arthroscopic knee ligament repairs
- Sublingual gland excision (removal of gland under the tongue)
- Elective appendectomy (elective removal of the appendix)
- Haemorrhoidectomy (removal of haemorrhoids)
- Rotator cuff repair
- Menisectomy excision, repair, trimming (excision, repair, trimming of the knee meniscus)
- Pilonidal sinus excision (repair of cyst or cavity on the tailbone)
- Parathyroidectomy (removal of the parathyroid gland)
- Laparoscopic oophorectomy and salpingectomy, including bilateral (removal of fallopian tubes and ovaries via keyhole surgery)
- Colporrhaphy (repair of vaginal walls)
- Myomectomy, including laparoscopically (50%) and hysteroscopic (removal of fibroids in the uterus via keyhole surgery)
- Therapeutic laparoscopic procedures including laser, diathermy and destruction e.g. endometriosis, adhesiolysis
The existing eight surgeries with a same day surgery target introduced in 2024-25 accounted for 11,122 procedures of the more 156,000 completed at NSW public hospitals during that period, including:
- 4,148 hernia procedures
- 1,953 tonsillectomies & adenoidectomies
- 1,851 gallbladder removals
- 1,634 nasal procedures
- 1,129 sinus and complex middle ear procedures
- 356 mastectomies
- 33 thyroid interventions
- 18 hysterectomies (for non-cancer reasons)
The NSW Government has invested over $200 million since 2024 to reduce overdue surgeries with more than $23 million in 2025-26 to reduce the number of planned surgeries waiting longer than clinically recommended.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"Same day surgeries mean we are able to provide care to more people and do it sooner, which is a win for everyone."
"No one wants to be in hospital longer than they clinically have to be, so by safely discharging people to recover at home with the support they need, we're creating capacity for someone else who needs that bed, whether that's admitting someone more quickly from ED or calling someone up from the surgical waitlist.
"Same day surgeries are possible because of the leaps and bounds made over the years in surgical techniques, but also by the extensive design of the model by our clinical experts, which is guided by the latest scientific evidence.
"This is just another way our government is optimising healthcare and doing it safely so people in NSW can access the care they need, faster and more comfortably."
