Canberrans needing to access outpatient appointments in areas including general surgery, cardiology and gastroenterology are being faced with longer waits despite efforts to tackle waiting lists.
There were more than 35,000 on the wait list at the end of October with waiting periods of more than four years in some specialties.
Health authorities have been attempting to decrease waiting times and lists but this has proved futile in some areas, newly-released data has shown.
More than two-thirds of those needing an urgent outpatient appointment for general surgery were overdue in October 2023, this is despite only 8 per cent being overdue six months earlier.
Cardiology outpatients are also experiencing longer wait times. In October 2023 there were six urgent outpatients but they were facing an average wait time for their first appointment of 75 days. Six months earlier the average wait time was five days.
Gastroenterology wait times also remain long with category three outpatients facing a wait of nearly three years. Category three outpatients include those needing a colonoscopy.
Outpatients are those who receive treatment or have an appointment within Canberra Health Services without staying overnight in a hospital.
Dermatology category three outpatients face the longest wait of 1607 days, which is more than four years.
There were improvements in some areas such as ophthalmology, which had lower wait times and overdue appointments in all categories. There were also some improvements in endocrinology.
Opposition health spokeswoman Leanne Castley said it was unacceptable Canberrans had to wait so long for appointments.
"While a few specialties have made inroads into their waitlists in the last six months, it is unacceptable that so many ill Canberrans have to wait so long, often in pain and discomfort, for specialist appointments," she said.
"Meanwhile non-urgent patients are waiting around four years on average to see a urologist, orthopaedic surgeon, dermatologist or ear, nose and throat specialist.
"Many Canberrans decide to go interstate, go private or just give up and that is not good enough for the nation's capital."
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the ACT had experienced challenges with specialist availability but acknowledged it was distressing for people who had to wait longer for specialist care.
She said Canberra Health Services was committed to improving access to outpatient services.
"Like many public health services across the country, Canberra Health Services has experienced challenges with specialist availability and increased demand," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
"While we have seen an improvement in some areas, we acknowledge how distressing it can be when people have to wait longer for their outpatient appointments.
"Canberra Health Services is undertaking a range of initiatives to grow outpatient capacity, including increasing the proportion of new appointments and recruiting more specialists."
