Wait times for Specialist outpatients

As the population in the Bass Coast and South Gippsland region grows, the demand for both elective and emergency surgery also increases. With advancements in surgical procedures, we can now treat an expanding range of conditions more effectively and safely. This increased safety has made surgery a more acceptable option for many people.

At Bayside Health - Regional, we are committed to treating all patients on our waiting list in a timely manner. Each patient is assigned a category of urgency by their surgeon, which influences their waiting time.

Category 1 - URGENT
Patients who require urgent surgery are typically admitted within 30 days

Category 2 – SEMI-URGENT
Patients needing semi-urgent surgery are usually treated within 90 days

Category 3 – NON-URGENT
Patients who require non-urgent surgery are usually treated within 365 days

If your condition changes or worsens, please consult your General Practitioner, as your surgeon may adjust your urgency category accordingly.

We strive to ensure you receive timely treatment. While we aim for swift service, waiting times can sometimes be longer than desired. To address this, we are implementing several strategies, including more efficient use of hospital beds and operating theatres.

Additionally, we are adding extra interim care beds to reduce the use of scheduled elective surgery ward beds for emergency patients, among other initiatives like expanding our Admission/Discharge Lounge.

Although we aim to minimise Hospital Initiated Postponements, if your surgery is postponed, we will endeavour to reschedule within five working days.

The wait-times for each of our services will vary depending on the demand for our services and urgency of your referral.

All referrals are reviewed by our specialist doctors/nurses.  Based on the information provided, they determine the clinical urgency of the referral.

If your referral is classified as 'urgent', we will provide you with an appointment within 30 days or at the earliest available date and time.

If your referral is classified as ‘routine’, you will receive notification from us with an appointment date and time or to advise you have been added to our service waitlist. 

Please note, the wait time for our routine appointments can vary depending on the service.  For the estimated clinic wait times for our routine appointments, see the table below. 

For state-wide information regarding Specialist Outpatient Clinic wait times, please see Victoria Agency for Health Information webpage.