I was originally put on the public waiting list for lap, etc, it took nearly 6 months for me just to get a confirmation letter to say I had been referred and was given an appointment date for a consultation. At the consultation they decide whether they feel you should have the procedure and then you go back on the waiting list again for a surgery date - all dependent on how serious they determine you to be and what rating they give you.
I ended up paying a fortune but going private as I was sufferring a tonne of pain from endo and decided I wasn't waiting any longer.