Far North Queenslanders are set to benefit from a major investment in elective surgery, with the Queensland Government committing $247 million in the 2026–27 Budget to deliver more than 25,000 additional procedures through the Surgery Connect Program.
The funding builds on the success of the program, which has already delivered more than 35,000 surgeries since February 2025, helping to reduce Queensland’s elective surgery waitlist by more than 8,100 patients from its peak.
For people across Cairns and the Far North, this means faster access to surgeries that can dramatically improve quality of life, including cataract operations, joint replacements, ear, nose and throat procedures, and other high-demand treatments.
The impact of this investment is already being seen in our region.
Over the past 12 months, the elective surgery waitlist in Cairns and Hinterland has fallen from more than 4,000 patients to 2,881, with around 900 people receiving the surgery they needed.
This reduction means fewer families waiting in pain, fewer delays for vital procedures and more people returning to work, family activities and everyday life sooner.
The positive results are not limited to surgery waitlists.
Ambulance ramping across the Cairns and Hinterland region has also improved significantly, falling to 30.4 per cent, which is now below the Queensland average. Even more encouraging, Cairns Hospital is currently the top-performing hospital in the state for ambulance ramping when compared with hospitals of a similar size and capacity.
These achievements reflect the dedication and hard work of the doctors, nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals and support staff who keep our health system running every day.
The funding forms part of the Government’s broader $1.8 billion investment in elective surgery and a record $35.5 billion Health Budget.
Alongside Surgery Connect, the fully funded Hospital Rescue Plan will deliver new and expanded hospitals across Queensland, creating more than 2,600 additional beds and increasing healthcare capacity for growing communities.
The Government says the initiative is focused on improving access to healthcare, reducing waiting times and ensuring Queenslanders can receive treatment when and where they need it.
For Far North Queensland residents, these results are encouraging signs that significant progress is being made to address long-standing pressures on the health system.
The reduction in elective surgery waitlists, improving ambulance performance and continued investment in frontline healthcare services demonstrate a health system moving in the right direction.
To everyone at Cairns Hospital and throughout the Cairns and Hinterland health network, thank you for your dedication and commitment to caring for our community.
More surgeries, shorter waits and better outcomes for patients are great news for Far North Queensland.
