Rates and waiting times of elective surgeries in Queensland: an aggregated data analysis by Indigenous status, 2013–2022

Objectives To compare elective surgeries rates and waiting times between Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients in Queensland. Design Aggregated annual data analysis from July 2013 to December 2022 on elective surgeries and waiting times. Setting Public hospitals across Queensland. Participants All patients who had elective surgery in Queensland public hospitals between 2013 and 2022. Measures Rates and clinically recommended timeframes for elective surgeries. Results Between 2013 and 2022, the overall estimated average rate of elective surgeries for Indigenous patients was 286 per 100000 population, compared with 221 per 100000 for non-Indigenous patients. Indigenous patients had higher rates of most elective surgeries except plastic and urological surgeries, where non-Indigenous patients had higher rates. Across all urgency categories, the percentages of elective surgery performed within clinically recommended timeframes were similar between Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients. Conclusion Our findings may point to the efficacy of specific policy and service delivery innovations undertaken in Queensland. Due to the limitations of our aggregated data, this inference warrants careful interpretation. More studies with disaggregated data are needed.