Margaret is 67 and lives in Ontario. Her knee gave way two winters ago. She has a referral, a diagnosis and a date — it just isn’t this year. Her story is not rare. Across Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, millions of people are waiting for planned care. Here is what the latest official numbers say, and what a trip to India can — and cannot — change.
Canada: the longest wait is for joints
The Fraser Institute’s 2025 survey of specialists found a median of 28.6 weeks between a family doctor’s referral and treatment — slightly better than 30.0 weeks in 2024, but still more than six months. For orthopaedic surgery, the wait was far longer.
| All specialties | 28.6 |
|---|---|
| Orthopaedic surgery | 48.6 |
Fraser Institute, Waiting Your Turn 2025. About 1.4 million procedures were waiting across 10 provinces.
The UK: a list the size of a country
At the end of September 2025, an estimated 7.39 million treatments were waiting in England, covering 6.24 million people, and 180,329 people had waited more than a year to start routine treatment. Many families look at private care at home — and find the price hard to bear.
Australia and New Zealand: steadier, but not for everyone
Australia’s median wait for public elective surgery was 45 days in 2024–25, yet 6% of patients waited more than a year. In New Zealand, only 62.2% of people were treated within four months in September 2024, against a national target of 95%.
| NZ: % within 4 months | 62% |
|---|---|
| NZ target % | 95% |
| Australia: % waiting > 1 year | 6% |
NZ Government health target factsheet (Dec 2024); AIHW 2024–25.
What a trip to India changes
India does not have shorter queues by magic. It has a large private and charitable hospital sector where a planned operation can usually be scheduled within weeks once a specialist agrees it is right for you. That is why we start with a specialist’s opinion — two calls for US$99 — and a written estimate, before anyone books a flight.
- Time: specialist opinion in days; surgery dates agreed with you.
- Money: written, itemised estimates; flights listed separately.
- Recovery: Chandigarh’s calm streets and the Himalayan foothills an hour or two away.
- Honesty: if travel is not right for you, we say so.
What it cannot change
Some conditions are not suitable for long flights; some patients are better treated at home. Your own doctor stays important — before you go and after you return. We send a clear discharge summary your doctor can read.
Independent research. Figures are quoted from the official and published sources listed below, as they stood when we checked them (October 2026). BookMedTrip is an independent facilitator and is not affiliated with any government body, hospital, charity or organisation named here, and receives no commission from them. If anything here is out of date or inaccurate, please write to care@bookmedtrip.com and we will correct it.
Maswali
How quickly can I be treated in India?
After your specialist consultation and reports, planned surgery is usually scheduled within weeks; the hospital confirms the date in writing.
Will my insurance pay?
Usually not for treatment abroad, unless your policy says so. We give you itemised documents to submit if it does.
Do I lose my place on the waiting list at home?
That depends on your health system; ask your doctor before you decide.
