Ramsay Health Care, the nation's largest private hospitals operator, says it's in talks with the government about taking the public overflow of patients slated for elective surgeries which could be pushed aside if the coronavirus outbreak ramps up.

Danny Sims, the chief executive of Ramsay's Australian operations, which make up nearly 70 per cent of group earnings, said the public hospitals still want to achieve waiting list targets for elective surgery despite the pressures mounting due to the COVID-19 outbreak.