Canberra Hospital emergency department waiting times
In February 2025, the average waiting time for patients visiting Canberra Hospital emergency department was 30 minutes.
Key takeaways
- In February 2025 Canberra Hospital's average wait time was 30 minutes compared to North Canberra Hospital's 20 minutes.
- Your wait time depends heavily on your triage category; non-urgent cases waited 46 minutes in February 2025.
- Only 56% of patients were seen on time in February 2025; consider alternatives for non-urgent care.
Average emergency department wait times for Canberra Hospital
According to data from the ACT Government, the average wait time for patients seeking treatment via Canberra Hospital emergency department was 30 minutes in February 2025. However, this varied depending on triage category.
The average wait times for Canberra Hospital emergency department, according to triage category, are as follows:
- Category 1 (resuscitation): 0 minutes
- Category 2 (emergency): 9 minutes
- Category 3 (urgent): 35 minutes
- Category 4 (semi-urgent): 43 minutes
- Category 5 (non-urgent): 46 minutes
In February 2025, Canberra Hospital had a longer average wait time than North Canberra Hospital, which had an average wait time of 20 minutes.
How emergency department wait times are calculated
Emergency department wait times are calculated based on the time between a patient's arrival at the emergency department and when they first receive care.
Patients may see a medical professional to be triaged before they receive care, but the average waiting times are calculated based on when care begins - not when triage occurs.
What affects how long you'll have to wait
The triage category you are signed will have a significant impact on how long you'll have to wait. Patients are allocated a triage category based on the time in which they need medical attention - however, these benchmarks are not always met.
In February 2025, 56% of patients presenting at Canberra Hospital emergency department received treatment within the recommended time frame. The recommended time frames, and percentage of patients who received treatment within that time frame, are listed below.
| Triage category | Recommended time | % seen on time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - Resuscitation | Less than 2 minutes | 98.5% |
| 2 - Emergency | Within 10 minutes | 62.3% |
| 3 - Urgent | Within 30 minutes | 45.3% |
| 4 - Semi-urgent | Within 60 minutes | 61.6% |
| 5 - Non-urgent | Within 120 minutes | 86.1% |
The data above represents admissions to Canberra Hospital in February 2025.
Other factors can also affect how long you wait at the emergency department, including:
- Patient volume
- Stagging shortages
- Day of the week
- Time of the day or night
- Critical incidents or mass casualties
When to go to the ED vs when to go to the doctor
The emergency department is intended for serious and urgent medical conditions. Some common reasons for attending the emergency department include:
- Heart attack or stroke
- Severe unexplained pain
- Serious injuries or broken bones
- Problems with breathing or bleeding
- Loss of consciousness or fitting
- Allergic reactions
- Severe mental health concerns
- Drug overdoses or poisoning
- Burns or near-drowning incidents
- Pregnancy complications
This list is not exhaustive and if you think your life is at risk, you should call 000 for help immediately. However, there are lots of alternatives for situations that not require urgent or emergency healthcare, including:
- Walk-in clinic or urgent care clinic
- An after-hours home visit from a doctor
- Speak with your GP or pharmacist
- Call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria)
- Call a mental health service such as Beyond Blue for non-urgent mental health advice
Comparing public and private ED options in Canberra
In February 2025, Canberra Hospital emergency department had an average wait time of 30 minutes, while North Canberra Hospital emergency department had an average wait time of 20 minutes.There are no emergency departments within private hospitals in Canberra.
FAQs
Sources
More resources on Finder
Ask a question
More guides on Finder
-
ING health insurance review
With 5 hospital plans to choose from, ING is likely to have something for your needs.
-
Compare online doctor and GP services in Australia
An online doctor is just like any other GP – except the appointment usually takes place via video call rather than face-to-face.
-
Health insurance in your 30s
If you turned 31 this year, you may want to take out private health insurance to avoid paying an additional 2% a year.
-
Health insurance rewards
Find out which health funds offer rewards points and discount for getting healthy.
-
How does telehealth work in Australia?
Telehealth is an exciting new way of providing remote healthcare services using different technologies.
-
Get the lowdown on health insurance loyalty programs
What are private health insurance loyalty programs and what sorts of benefits can they offer you? Find out here.
-
How much does private health insurance cost?
What does private health insurance typically cost? Our comprehensive guide will tell you.
-
Singles Health Insurance
There are a number of reasons why taking out private health cover now rather than later can be a smart thing for singles to do.
-
Student health insurance
If you're a student, chances are you don't have a whole lot of cash to burn. Compare student health insurance and protect your health and budget.
-
Bupa health insurance review
Bupa health insurance offers different levels of cover for better health services but also provides tax benefits and prevents government penalties.