An urgent review at Canterbury Hospital, in southwest Sydney, found four patients needing urgent procedures and 12 with semi-urgent conditions had not been allocated dates for elective surgeries within clinically recommended timeframes due to the bungle.
Referrals for the 16 patients were missed while emails sat in the inbox, which was not monitored.
In cases classified as urgent or "category one", a specialist has recommended an operation take place within 30 days, while the tier below requires procedures to be carried out within 90 days.
"Patient safety and wellbeing remain our highest priorities, and we have worked urgently to minimise any impact on those affected," a Sydney Local Health District spokesperson said on Sunday.
"We sincerely apologise to these patients and families."
Admission dates had been urgently allocated to the affected patients and treating surgeons contacted, the spokesperson added.
But Australian Medical Association NSW branch president Fred Betros, who works as a surgeon, said the incident was an extremely concerning situation for the patients involved.
"There is a reason we give timeframes for surgery," he said.
"If a patient does not receive investigations or treatment in a certain timeframe, it can have devastating repercussions for them and their families."
Category-one patients might have malignant tumours or be in need of coronary artery bypass grafts, Dr Betros said.
He chided the government for failing to provide funding to boost a health workforce that was drowning under patient need.
"We need more doctors to meet demand, but it cannot come at the cost of support staff who help keep our hospitals running," he said.
NSW opposition health spokesperson Sarah Mitchell said patients needed immediate care and assurance that referrals were being properly managed across the hospital system.
"This is a basic failure with potentially serious consequences," she said.
"Patients and their families need confidence that this failure is not happening elsewhere."
The state Labor government has pledged $400 million to redevelop Canterbury Hospital.
Some 85.6 per cent of elective surgeries statewide were performed on time in the June quarter, up 8.8 percentage points on the same period in 2025.
Health Minister Ryan Park's office referred queries to NSW Health.
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