The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, Elective surgery waiting times 2017–18: Australian hospital statistics, showed the public hospitals Shoalhaven (Nowra), South East (Bega), Goulburn, Bowral and Batemans Bay performed all their category one surgeries within the recommended timeframe.

Shoalhaven Hospital was the best performer among the five hospitals.

It performed more category one surgeries (736) than the South East Regional Hospital (328), Goulburn Base Hospital (302), Bowral Hospital (294) and Batemans Bay Hospital (23).

Shoalhaven hospital also had a smaller median waiting time.

Patients had to wait for an average 14 days to get a category one surgery at Shoalhaven hospital compared with 19 days at South East Regional Hospital. 

For semi-urgent or category two surgeries, which are recommended within 90 days, the performance of Shoalhaven declined to 89 per cent.

Shoalhaven hospital performed 89 per cent of 1207 surgeries within the recommended time of 90 days.

Batemans Bay hospital, however, had a 100 per cent success rate. 

It completed all 68 surgeries within 90 days. 

The remaining hospitals had a success rate of more than 97 per cent.

For category three surgeries, the success rate was less than 90 per cent for Shoalhaven, South East Regional Hospital and Goulburn Base Hospital.

Bowral hospital and Batemans Bay hospital performed almost all their category surgeries within the 365 days time period.

The NSW Government says it is investing a record $22.9 billion in health, representing a $1.1 billion increase over the 2017-18 budget. 

Of the $22.9 billion, $19.2 billion is for improving services in public hospitals in 2018-19.