NSW Government Expands Short Stay Surgery Services in Western Sydney

Around 3,500 patients in Western Sydney are set to receive improved access to planned surgeries following a $30 million investment by the New South Wales Government to expand High Volume Short Stay surgical models across the state.

Under the initiative, short stay surgery services—which cover planned procedures requiring hospital admission for up to 72 hours—have been introduced in the Nepean Blue Mountains and Western Sydney local health districts.

At Nepean and Hawkesbury hospitals, the expansion into gynaecology and ear, nose, and throat procedures is expected to deliver an estimated 500 surgeries by July 1, 2027. Meanwhile, Auburn Hospital has expanded its short stay services for cataract procedures, increasing its capacity to perform more than 1,400 operations annually.

According to the government, recent Bureau of Health Information data showed overdue planned surgery patients in the Western Sydney Local Health District fell to fewer than five, compared to 2,021 during the same period four years prior. Overdue surgeries at Auburn, Westmead, and Mount Druitt hospitals reached zero.

Statewide figures released by the government indicate that the number of patients waiting longer than clinically recommended dropped from 14,059 in March 2023 to 3,955 in March 2026, following a peak of more than 18,000 in 2022.

The one-off $30 million allocation builds on $200 million invested since 2024 to address surgery backlogs, as well as the opening of the state's first Surgery Hub at Northern Beaches Hospital, which is expected to handle up to 5,000 additional surgeries annually. Additionally, the 2026–27 NSW Budget allocated $10.3 billion to boost system-wide health capacity, including an estimated 2,900 additional planned surgeries.

Source