Waitlists and waiting times

When you make an appointment at an outpatient clinic or for elective surgery, you may be put on a waitlist.  A waitlist is a system to work out when you will be seen. It prioritises appointments in order of the urgency of patient medical needs.

• Your doctor will write you a letter called a ‘referral’ to book your outpatient clinic appointment.
• The clinic will review your referral and place you on a waitlist.
• The time you will wait depends on how urgent the health conditions are of you and other patients.

How long you will wait for your appointment

• Some clinics and services have short waiting times. Some are longer due to demand and resources.
• If your condition may be life-threatening, we will prioritise your appointment. Please ask your doctor to call us.

What to do if your condition gets worse?

Until you have your appointment, it is important to have ongoing care with your referring doctor.

If there are any changes to your condition, they will call the outpatient clinic to:

• request that you go into a more urgent category for a sooner appointment
• cancel your appointment if it is no longer needed.