Background: Timely appendicectomy is a cornerstone in the management of acute appendicitis, with delays potentially impacting patient outcomes and costs. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of delays to theatre for patients with acute appendicitis. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent appendicectomy for suspected acute appendicitis between February and April 2025 at a tertiary hospital in Adelaide, Australia. Chi-squared analysis was completed to compare operative timing, findings and length of stay (LOS). Results: 76 consecutive appendicectomies in the study period were included. The mean age was 37 years. 70% of operations were completed inhours (8AM-5PM). 58.4% of patients were delayed beyond their triage category due to hospital factors (triaged as within 4, 12 or 24 hours). 16 (21.1%) patients had perforated appendicitis and there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of perforated cases between delayed and non-delayed cases. Non-perforated cases had a mean time from operation to discharge of 20 hours (95% confidence interval (CI) 14-23 hours) with total LOS of 3 days (CI 2-4 days)(p=0.002), while perforated cases had an extended stay, with a mean of 74 hours (CI 38.5-91 hours) (p<0.001) with total LOS of 5 days (CI 3.8-5.3 days) (p=0.002). Mean total LOS for Non-delayed cases was 2.94 days. Mean total LOS for delayed cases was 4.07 days. Hence, delaying cases resulted in a longer total LOS of 1.1 days. Conclusion: This highlights the acuity, caseload and challenges to adhering to guidelines in a tertiary hospital in Adelaide. Delay to theatre was associated with increasing LOS which increases healthcare costs. Increasing availability of elective lists for emergent cases would prevent delays and improve healthcare utilisation. A larger sample size would help evaluate the impact of delayed operations on perforation, complication & re-admission rates and LOS.