Victoria’s world-class healthcare workforce delivered a record-breaking number of planned surgeries last year.
More Victorians received care sooner, with a massive 218,000 planned surgeries completed in 2025/26.
It marks the third consecutive record-breaking year across the state’s public hospitals.
Minister for Health Ingrid Stitt today visited the Northern Hospital to thank the dedicated team who contributed to this milestone.
At Northern Health, almost 12,000 surgeries were delivered, beating the health service’s own target.
Their strong performance was supported by a range of measures, including expanding same day surgeries and improving patient discharge practices.
Innovative approaches to common surgeries like gallstones are also helping to improve patient outcomes and get them home sooner.
This year’s statewide success is driven by Victoria’s game-changing Planned Surgery Reform Blueprint.
The Blueprint is shortening wait times, freeing up theatre and bed capacity and delivering care sooner by:
- expanding non-surgical alternatives
- increasing same day surgeries
- establishing 28 Patient Support Units statewide
- boosting capacity through dedicated facilities including Rapid Access Hubs and Public Surgical Centres.
Victoria is leading the nation in delivering the most urgent surgeries faster. But there’s more work to do.
That’s why the Carroll Labor Government invested more than $50 million in the Victorian Budget 2026/27 to tackle these challenges head on.
The funding will deliver 4,000 more planned surgeries for children so they can get back to kinder and school sooner.
A further $33.3 million is expanding VicKey – a secure digital portal helping hospitals manage waitlists efficiently.
The Budget also invests $8 million in a new Victorian first pilot – Specialist Advice Now – to reduce wait times.
This service enables GPs and patients to get timely specialist advice without the need for a referral.