Current wait status
Last checked 8:55 pm AEST, 1 Oct
36
Median to treatment (min)
Queensland Health publishes the median time from triage to the start of treatment. It does not publish a count of patients waiting.
Cairns Hospital ED: 30-day patterns
Cairns Hospital ED's published median time to treatment was typically 18 min over the last 30 days (n = 6,734 hospital-published snapshots from Queensland Health, 2026-09-01 to 2026-10-01).
The quietest hour was typically 9am to 10am (median 12 min), and the busiest was 1am to 2am (median 32 min). Same-day variation can be larger than this median band, so check the live status above before travelling.
The quietest day of the week was typically Saturday (median 15 min), and the busiest was Friday (median 23 min).
Compared to the previous 30 days, the typical median time to treatment was roughly unchanged (18 min → 18 min).
Typical values are medians of Queensland Health-published snapshots over the last 30 days. Queensland Health publishes the median time from triage to the start of treatment. It does not publish a count of patients waiting. Hour-of-day and day-of-week buckets use the hospital's local time.
About Cairns Hospital
Cairns Hospital is the main hospital for Far North Queensland, providing acute and specialist services to a vast catchment extending from the Atherton Tablelands to the Torres Strait. It functions as a regional referral centre with retrieval services for remote Indigenous communities. The ED manages a unique mix of tropical medicine, trauma, and aeromedical presentations.
Hospital details
Nearby emergency departments
Nearby Medicare Urgent Care Clinics
For urgent but not life-threatening problems (sprains, minor fractures, small wounds, acute infections), a walk-in Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is bulk billed and usually faster than an ED:
- Cairns North Medicare Urgent Care ClinicSmithfield, 11km
- Cairns South Medicare Urgent Care ClinicEdmonton, 14km
- Townsville Medicare Urgent Care ClinicThuringowa Central, 286km
When you might not need the ED
If you are visiting Cairns Hospital ED for any of the following, a telehealth GP consultation, bulk billed if you're Medicare eligible, may be faster and more convenient:
- Repeat prescriptions or new scripts (sent as eScripts to your phone)
- Medical certificates for work, university, or carer's leave
- Specialist, pathology, or imaging referrals
- Cold, flu, or minor illness treatment
- Mental health support
- Sexual health consultations
NewDoc telehealth consultations are bulk billed for eligible Medicare patients, with no out-of-pocket cost. Same-day appointments are available 7 days a week.
Skip the wait. See a GP from home.
For non-emergency concerns like coughs, colds, scripts, and referrals. Book a telehealth consult with a qualified GP, bulk billed if you're Medicare eligible.
Or call NewDoc on 0485 049 710
NewDoc is an independent telehealth service. This number does not reach Cairns Hospital.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are the wait times shown for Cairns Hospital?
The data is sourced directly from Queensland Health and updated every 30 minutes. Queensland Health publishes the median time from triage to the start of treatment. It does not publish a count of patients waiting. Actual waits can change rapidly depending on the severity of incoming cases and ED capacity. The numbers shown are a snapshot, not a guarantee.
What does the demand level (Low / Medium / High) mean?
The demand level is an estimate based on the published median time to treatment: under an hour shows Low, one to two hours Medium, and two hours or more High. It is a guide to how busy the ED is, not a prediction of how long you will wait.
Should I use this to decide whether to go to the ED?
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, always call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department immediately. This page is for general information only. For non-emergency conditions like prescriptions, medical certificates, or referrals, a telehealth GP consultation, bulk billed if you're Medicare eligible, may be faster and more convenient.
Data sourced from Queensland Health. Wait times are indicative and may not reflect your actual wait. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.