Ten per cent of Tasmanians on the elective surgery waiting list waited at least 588 days during 2020-21, far longer than the national average of 348 days for patients at the 90th percentile.

The data was outlined in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's latest report which assessed the impact of changes to elective surgery during COVID, finding wait times blew out across the board.

Tasmania had by far the longest waits across almost all areas of elective surgery, and while days on the waiting list ballooned during 2020, there were also increases before COVID.

In 2020-21, the areas of elective surgery which experienced the greatest increase in waits were ophthalmology - which treats eye disorders - orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology which deals with head and neck issues, gynaecology and a significant increase in longer waits for paediatric surgery.

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For specific procedures, the proportion of patients waiting over 12 months increased significantly for hip and knee replacements, cataract extractions, inguinal herniorrhaphy and gall bladder removals.

A rapid increase in waiting times for tonsillectomies appeared to be an Australia-wide trend, as noted by the AIHW report.

States and territories put in place various restrictions on elective surgery during the COVID emergency period resulting in 12-month waits to increase from an average of 2.8 per cent in 2019-20 to 7.6 per cent in 2020-21.

Tasmania experienced a comparatively less severe Alpha outbreak, although it caused the temporary closure of the North-West Regional Hospital and elective surgery was suspended in March and April, 2020. There was no Delta outbreak in the state.

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Despite this, the proportion of patients waiting over 12 months in Tasmania increased faster than any state or territory, from 9.8 per cent in 2019-20 to 19.3 per cent in 2020-21.

During last year's election campaign, the Australian Medical Association's Tasmania branch urged the government to increase funding for elective surgery, highlighting flow-on effects throughout the health system.

This included a shortage of beds on wards and in intensive care, which could be taken up by increasing numbers of emergency patients, resulting in the common practice of land-minute elective surgery cancellations.

The state government released a four-year, $700 million elective surgery plan in August with a target to reduce overdue waiting times from 60 days in 2021-22 to 30 days in 2024-25. It includes a refurbishment of the Launceston General Hospital and to increase its medical bed capacity.

As of July, there were 4325 people waiting for procedures at the LGH, 1322 at the NWRH and 1007 at Mersey Community Hospital.

The government did not respond to a request by deadline for comment about the discrepancy between Tasmania and the mainland.

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