A pilot study was performed in eight Australasian day surgery facilities with a purpose of identifying common trends and differences. A prospective study was designed in which information was collected on 826 patients over a two-week period. Patients were well matched for age, anaesthetic type and mean surgical time. Three facility types were identified and results were statistically corrected for any differences that ASA status, age and surgical time may have made. Patient preoperative waiting time, recovery room times, delayed discharge time and unanticipated admission rates showed favourable outcome trends for free-standing facilities compared with hospital-integrated facilities where day patients had a shared recovery with inpatients. Similar trends were seen with patient opinions of waiting times and recovery periods. In summary, this pilot study has demonstrated the impact of different facility types on efficiencies and patient satisfaction both of which have important cost implications and relevance to those involved in continuous quality improvement processes in day surgery.