The longest waits were at Westmead Hospital, where the median time spent in ED was seven hours and 11 minutes – 44 minutes longer than the same quarter last year. Only one in four patients requiring emergency treatment within 10 minutes started their treatment on time, the worst record of any Sydney hospital.
Statewide, there were record presentations in all three life-threatening triage categories – resuscitation, emergency, and urgent. Despite the increased demand, 52 per cent of category 2 emergency patients received treatment within 10 minutes – up from 49 per cent 12 months before.
Gill said a record low number of patients visited emergency with non-urgent injuries and illnesses, suggesting investments in urgent care clinics were diverting people from hospital, but these were not an option for the majority of emergency cases.
“Urgent care centres don’t meet the community needs when it comes to really sick people, and this is the area that we’d like to see more investment,” she said.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said NSW had 500 more hospital beds now than in 2019, and would soon have 600 additional hospital beds in south-western and western Sydney, but warned this investment would be in vain if rates of bed block continued to increase.
Loading
“This is simply not sustainable,” he said.
Park’s federal counterpart, Mark Butler, said his government was committed to a deal that would fund more beds, ease ramping, and clear surgical waiting lists.
Butler will next meet state and territory health ministers on Friday, although he has previously cast doubt on an imminent deal.
“Whether we can get this done by the end of the year is still a bit uncertain,” he said last week.
Dr Fred Betros, vice-president of the Australian Medical Association NSW, said a deal must come soon and include sustained funding to tackle chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
“Every day of delay means more pain, more complications, and more strain on a system that is already at breaking point,” he said.
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said the government’s refusal to allow an inquiry into western Sydney health was unjustifiable in light of the deteriorating performance of Westmead.
“It is time for transparency and a process to identify the pressures faced by staff and barriers to performance,” she said.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
