--- title: Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group, Australia resource: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/ publisher: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare licence: CC BY 4.0 licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ version: 2026-10-27 rows: 13611 fields: 10 source: https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/api/v1/measure-downloads/myh-ed source_sha256: 49d99ec1517e3ef43abe55678bfc93d595339aee14d1fae24dae44ef460e0a92 language: en-AU operator: National Digital not_endorsed: true --- # Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group, Australia The median time patients spent in emergency departments and the time by which 90 per cent had left, for each public hospital, network and state each year since 2011-12, from AIHW MyHospitals. Published by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare under CC BY 4.0. National Digital converted the publisher's file to other formats. It renamed and typed the columns and kept only those the schema lists. It made each suppressed value a null with a flag. It kept the publisher's marker for each empty cell in a markers column. National Digital made these changes, and the publisher is not responsible for them. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has not endorsed this site. Also called: ED length of stay by hospital, Median time in emergency department, How long patients spend in ED. ## Download Latest version, redirects to `https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/`: - csv: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.csv (2.2 MB) - xlsx: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.xlsx (671 KB) - json: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.json (4.9 MB) - parquet: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.parquet (112 KB) - sqlite: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.sqlite (3.2 MB) - duckdb: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.duckdb - ndjson: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.ndjson (4.9 MB) - csv.gz: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.csv.gz (200 KB) Pinned version 2026-10-27: `https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/data.`. Dated versions keep their content. ## Query The query API returns only the rows you ask for, as JSON, NDJSON or CSV, from the same typed rows as the files. It needs no key. Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-ed-time-in-ed/rows. Counts and sums: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-ed-time-in-ed/aggregate. - Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-ed-time-in-ed/rows?year=eq.2024%E2%80%9325&reporting_unit_type=eq.State&patient_cohort=eq.All%20patients&limit=5 - Aggregate: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-ed-time-in-ed/aggregate?group=reporting_unit&metric=sum.presentations&year=eq.2024%E2%80%9325&reporting_unit_type=eq.State&patient_cohort=eq.All%20patients Each filter is `field=operator.value` in the query string, and every filter must match. A number or date field compares as a number or date, and a text field compares as text. Values are case-sensitive, except that `like` and `ilike` ignore case in the ASCII letters A to Z. Prefix `not.` to negate a filter, as `not.eq.value`. Operators: `eq.value`, `neq.value`, `gt.value`, `gte.value`, `lt.value`, `lte.value`, `like.*text*`, `ilike.*text*`, `in.(a,b,c)`, `is.null`. - `select`: Fields to return, comma-separated. Every field when absent. - `order`: `field.asc` or `field.desc`, comma-separated. When absent, rows come in the order of the file they are read from. For the newest versions that is the version's own data.parquet, which keeps the publisher's order unless the dataset sorted it. Any other version is read from the Parquet file the answer names in `file`, and when that file is sorted the answer names its sort in `order`, which ties follow too. - `limit`: Rows per page, 1 to 10,000. 100 when absent. - `offset`: Rows to skip. The `next` URL in each answer sets it for you. - `group`: On `aggregate`, fields to group by, comma-separated. - `metric`: On `aggregate`, `count`, `sum.field`, `avg.field`, `min.field` or `max.field`, comma-separated. `count` when absent. - `format`: `json`, `ndjson` or `csv`. JSON carries the provenance header, and the others carry it in response headers. Without a version the API answers from the newest version, and that answer changes when the publisher releases again. Put `versions//` before `rows` or `aggregate` for an answer from that version alone. Every version with a table can be queried, and `/api/v1/datasets//versions` lists them. A query on a version the database does not hold is read from its Parquet file, and one that would read too much of it is refused with DuckDB SQL that answers it from the file. The API allows 60 requests in 10 seconds from one address. Above that it answers 429 for 10 seconds with a `Retry-After` header, a `RateLimit-Policy` header and a JSON body that gives the limit. Every API answer carries the same `RateLimit-Policy`. A client should wait the `Retry-After` seconds, or read the files, which have no limit. OpenAPI for this dataset: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/openapi.json ## Explore Charts and dashboards in the browser: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/explore/. A dashboard can be shared as a link or embedded. ## Smaller files - by `state`: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/by/state/index.json lists 9 files ## Fields | field | type | publisher's header | note | |---|---|---|---| | `reporting_unit` | string | Reporting unit | | | `reporting_unit_type` | string | Reporting unit type | | | `state` | string | State | | | `peer_group` | string | Peer group | | | `year` | string | Year | | | `patient_cohort` | string | Patient cohort | | | `presentations` | integer | Number of presentations | | | `median_time` | string | Median time | The time by which half of the patients had departed the emergency department, in hours and minutes as the Institute writes it. | | `time_90_percent_departed` | string | Time until most patients (90%) depart ED | The time by which 90 per cent of the patients had departed the emergency department, in hours and minutes as the Institute writes it. | | `peer_group_average_90` | string | Peer group average (90%) | The peer group average of the time until 90 per cent of patients departed, in hours and minutes as the Institute writes it. | Key: `reporting_unit, reporting_unit_type, year, patient_cohort`. ## Versions - 2026-10-27: 13611 rows, 10 fields, sha256 49d99ec1517e. https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/ Machine-readable: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/versions.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/changes.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/datapackage.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/schema.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/history.tar.zst ## Part of AIHW MyHospitals - [Hospitals, Local Hospital Networks and Primary Health Networks in MyHospitals, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-hospitals-myhospitals/) - [Reported measures and their codes in MyHospitals, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-myhospitals-reported-measures/) - [Reporting unit mappings to health networks and states in MyHospitals, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-myhospitals-reporting-unit-mappings/) - [Reporting unit codes and alternative names in MyHospitals, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-myhospitals-reporting-units/) - [Emergency department patients seen on time by hospital and triage category, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-patients-seen-on-time/) - [Emergency department presentations by hospital and triage category, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-presentations/) - [Emergency department patients who left within four hours by hospital and patient group, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-within-4-hours/) - [Cancer surgery waiting times by hospital and cancer type, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-cancer-surgery-waiting-times/) - [Elective surgery waiting times by hospital and urgency category, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-elective-surgery-waiting-times/) - [Elective surgery waiting times by hospital and intended procedure, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-elective-surgery-waiting-times-by-procedure/) - [Elective surgery waiting times by hospital and surgical specialty, Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/au-elective-surgery-waiting-times-by-specialty/) ## Same subject, other publishers - [People waiting and median waits in emergency departments, Queensland, live](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-emergency-department-waits-now/) (Qld) - [Emergency department busyness by day and hour, Queensland](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-emergency-department-busyness/) (Qld) - [Public dental waiting lists by clinic, Queensland, latest quarter](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-public-dental-waiting-lists/) (Qld) - [Public hospital emergency departments and minor injury clinics, Queensland, live list](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-emergency-department-facilities/) (Qld) - [Elective surgery by urgency category and hospital, Queensland, each quarter](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-elective-surgery-by-category/) (Qld) - [Public hospital locations, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-public-hospitals/) (SA) - [Measles public exposure sites, Victoria](https://publicdata.au/d/vic-measles-exposure-sites/) (Vic) - [Elective surgery by specialty and hospital, Queensland, each quarter](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-elective-surgery-by-specialty/) (Qld) - [Private hospital locations, South Australia](https://publicdata.au/d/sa-private-hospitals/) (SA) - [Ambulance Victoria response times by council area, 2018-19](https://publicdata.au/d/vic-ambulance-response-times-by-lga/) (Vic) - [Ambulance Victoria response times by town and city, 2017-18](https://publicdata.au/d/vic-ambulance-response-times-by-town/) (Vic) ## Attribution and citation Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, MyHospitals Data API, emergency department data extract, sourced 26 October 2026, https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/, licensed under CC BY 4.0. The licence requires the publisher's attribution. We ask that you also name publicdata.au and link to the version you used. Plain text: Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Government, MyHospitals Data API, emergency department data extract, sourced 26 October 2026, https://myhospitalsapi.aihw.gov.au/, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/ Harvard: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2026) Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group, Australia, version 2026-10-27 [data set], CC BY 4.0, sourced 26 October 2026. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au. Available at: https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/ Markdown: Data: [AIHW MyHospitals](https://www.aihw.gov.au/copyright), Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), sourced 26 October 2026. Files: [publicdata.au](https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/) by [National Digital](https://nationaldigital.com.au/). ## Questions ### How do I download Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group as a CSV file? Open https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/latest/data.csv. It redirects to the newest dated version, which is https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/data.csv today. The same path serves Excel, JSON, Parquet, SQLite, DuckDB, NDJSON. A dated URL never changes, so use it when the file must stay the same. ### Can I open Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group in Excel? Yes. https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/data.xlsx is a workbook with the 13,611 rows on a records sheet, the field list on a second sheet and the provenance on a third. The CSV also opens in Excel. https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/data.csv.gz is the CSV at about a tenth of the size. ### What years does Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group cover? The current version covers the years since 2011. Each release from AIHW becomes a new dated version here, and earlier versions stay online. ### How often is Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group updated? AIHW releases it several times a year. This site checks the portal every week and adds a dated version when the file changes. ### Can I use Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group commercially? Yes. CC BY 4.0 allows commercial use, redistribution and derived works as long as the attribution is kept. The attribution string is in this page's side column and inside every file. ### Is this the official source for Time spent in emergency departments by hospital and patient group? No. The publisher is Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and its page is https://www.aihw.gov.au/copyright. National Digital converted the publisher's file to other formats. It renamed and typed the columns and kept only those the schema lists. It made each suppressed value a null with a flag. It kept the publisher's marker for each empty cell in a markers column. National Digital made these changes, and the publisher is not responsible for them. The original sits beside every version as source.xlsx with its SHA-256, so the two can be compared. ### How do I get only the rows for one state? Every version has one JSON file per value of `state`, 9 files in the current version, listed with row counts at https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/by/state/index.json. For example https://publicdata.au/d/au-ed-time-in-ed/v/2026-10-27/by/state/nsw.json holds the 7,302 rows where `state` is `NSW`. ### What is in each row? One public hospital, Local Hospital Network, state or the nation, one financial year from 2011-12 and one patient group. It gives the number of emergency presentations, the median time patients spent in the emergency department and the time by which 90 per cent of them had left, beside the peer group average of that second figure. ### Which patient groups are there? The Institute gives all patients, patients admitted from the emergency department to the same hospital, and patients not admitted. ### Why are the times text? The Institute writes each time in hours and minutes, such as `2 hrs 58 mins`. This site publishes the times as the Institute wrote them. For some unpeered hospitals the file gives a peer group average of `0 hrs 0 mins`, and that value is kept as written. ### What do the blanks mean? The Institute writes `<5` for a count under five. Those cells are null here with a suppressed flag. In the times, `NP` means the data did not meet the Institute's criteria to calculate the figure and `NP†` means more than 10 per cent of presentations had missing or invalid time data. Those cells, a dash meaning no patients were reported, and Not peered are null. The markers column keeps each code. The Institute's file also marks with an asterisk the figures to interpret with caution, in columns with no heading, which are not carried here. ## What this site did to the data Cells were typed, headers were renamed to snake_case and the encoding was made UTF-8. Rows were left alone. Nothing is derived. The publisher's file is beside every version as `source.xlsx`. ## Improve this dataset This page is built from [register/au-ed-time-in-ed.yaml](https://github.com/National-Digital/publicdata.au/blob/main/register/au-ed-time-in-ed.yaml) on GitHub, and a fix to it is welcome as a pull request. https://publicdata.au/contribute/ explains how.