Current wait status
Updated 5 minutes ago
10
Avg wait (min)
Cairns Hospital ED — 30-day patterns
Cairns Hospital ED's median wait to be seen was 14 min over the last 30 days (n = 4,515 hospital-published snapshots from Queensland Health, 2026-04-19 to 2026-05-19).
The quietest hour was typically 5pm to 6pm (median 9 min), and the busiest was 10pm to 11pm (median 20 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 Wednesday (median 11 min), and the busiest was Monday (median 16 min).
Compared to the previous 30 days, the median wait was roughly unchanged (14 min → 14 min).
Aggregated from Queensland Health-published wait-to-be-seen snapshots over the last 30 days. Each row is the rolling-average wait the hospital itself publishes. 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 South Medicare Urgent Care ClinicEdmonton — 13km
- Townsville Medicare Urgent Care ClinicThuringowa Central — 286km
- Rockhampton Medicare Urgent Care ClinicNorth Rockhampton — 873km
When you might not need the ED
If you are visiting Cairns Hospital ED for any of the following, a bulk billed telehealth GP consultation may be faster and more convenient:
- Repeat prescriptions or new scripts (sent as eScripts to your phone)
- Medical certificates for work, university, or Centrelink
- 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 bulk billed telehealth consult with a qualified GP.
Or call 0481 615 998
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. It reflects the number of patients who have been triaged and are waiting for treatment at the time of the last update. Actual wait times can change rapidly depending on the severity of incoming cases and ED capacity. The numbers shown are a snapshot, not a guarantee.
Why does it sometimes show zero patients waiting?
A reading of zero means that at the time of the last data update, no triaged patients were recorded as waiting. This can happen briefly between shift changes, data refreshes, or during quieter periods. It does not necessarily mean the ED is empty, patients already being treated are not counted as waiting.
What does the demand level (Low / Medium / High) mean?
The demand level is an estimate based on the number of patients waiting relative to the size of the emergency department. A large hospital with 20 patients waiting may show Low demand, while a small hospital with the same number may show High. It indicates how busy the ED is compared to its usual capacity, not 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 bulk billed telehealth GP consultation 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.