Emergency department wait times Victoria

Emergency department wait times in Victoria public hospitals

Average wait times broken down by region

The data above refers to the average emergency department waiting time in Victoria public hospitals the first quarter of 2025, according to the Victorian Agency for Health Information.

How to check live wait times at major hospitals in Victoria

Some hospitals have their own dashboards where they publish live wait times for their emergency departments. These include:

Factors that influence how quickly you'll be seen

There are several factors that affect how quickly you'll be seen when you visit an emergency department in Victoria. There include:

Triage category

There are five triage categories, which represent how serious your condition is and how quickly you need medical treatment. The less serious the category, the longer you'll have to wait.

The data in the table above refers to the average emergency department waiting times in Victoria public hospitals in 2023-2024, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Hospital you're visiting

Emergency department waiting times vary between hospitals, with some as low as 6 minutes and one hospital reaching 37 minutes. Below is a table representing the hospitals with the shortest and longest waiting times.

Other factors

Other factors affecting wait times include:

• Patient volume
• Stagging shortages
• Day of the week
• Time of the day or night
• Critical incidents or mass casualties
• Flu season or other epidemics

Tips to avoid unnecessary visits

In most cases, the emergency department is intended for serious and urgent medical conditions. Some common reasons for attending the emergency department include:

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 may not require urgent or emergency healthcare, including:

• Walk-in clinic or urgent care clinic
• An after-hours home visit from a doctor
• Speak with a GP or pharmacist
• Call NURSE-ON-CALL on 1800 022 222 (known as HealthDirect outside of Victoria)
• Call a mental health service such as Beyond Blue for non-urgent mental health advice

How private hospital emergency departments wait times compare to public

Private hospital emergency departments work using the same triage system and recommended treatment times as private hospitals. As fewer people generally attend private hospitals, you may be seen quicker for less urgent medication conditions, but this can vary.

FAQs

• What is the average wait time in a Victorian emergency department?

  In the first quarter of 2025, the average waiting time in a Victorian emergency department was 12 minutes for patients in triage categories 1, 2 & 3 and 21 minutes for patients in triage categories 4 & 5.

• Which hospitals have the shortest wait times in Victoria?

  In the first quarter of 2025, the public hospitals with the shortest wait times in Victoria were Angliss Hospital, Box Hill Hospital, Maroondah Hospital and Victorian Heart Hospital, all with an average wait time of 6 minutes.

• Can I check emergency department wait times online?

  Some hospitals publish live emergency department waiting times on their website, but most don't.

• What are the busiest times to visit the ED in Victoria?

  In 2023–24, 70% of emergency department presentations occurred between 8 am and 8 pm. The busiest days for emergency department visits were Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

• How does triage impact your wait time?

  Your triage category correlates with a recommended treatment time. Category 1 patients are recommended to be seen within 2 minutes while Category 5 patients are recommended to be seen within 120 minutes.

• Are private emergency departments faster?

  Sometimes, private emergency departments are faster but not always. Waiting times are influenced by a broad range of factors and change constantly.

• When should I go to an ED vs call Nurse-on-Call?

  In most cases, the emergency department is intended for serious and urgent medical conditions. If you are looking for advice, NURSE-ON-CALL is a phone service that provides immediate, expert health advice from a registered nurse.

Written by

Nicola Middlemiss

Journalist

Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

Nicola's expertise

Nicola has written 249 Finder guides across topics including:

• Personal finance
• Personal insurance, including car, health, home, life, pet and travel insurance
• Commercial business insurance