Paramedics have stated NSW emergency services are at "breaking point" after a new report found unprecedented demand across hospitals and ambulances.
One in ten patients spent more than 11 hours waiting in emergency departments (ED) across NSW between June and April 2024, the most recent Bureau of Health Information's quarterly health report has found.
Independent candidate for the 2024 Pittwater by-election Jacqui Scruby has stated the September 18 released data on ambulance response times is alarming. Patients across the peninsula are waiting longer for ambulances, with people in Pittwater having to deal with increased response times across all priority categories.
The data shows the median time it took an ambulance to reach emergency cases is 18 minutes, up 1.8 minutes from the same quarter the previous year.
Just 35.5% of emergency cases (P1) waited less than 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, which is down 5.5 percentage points from last year.
Those which are Life Threatening Cases (P1A) shows a 9.8 minutes median time for it took an ambulance to reach the highest priority emergency cases, up 1.7 minutes.
Urgent Cases (P2) show 30.1 minutes as the median time it took an ambulance to reach urgent cases, up 4.4 minutes from the same quarter the previous year.
There were 385,345 ambulance responses in the April to June 2024 quarter, up 7.8% from the same period last year.
''This is a direct result of years of poor decisions and neglect from the NSW Liberal Party, including the privatisation of our public hospitals.'' Jacqui Scruby said
'' The Northern Beaches Hospital was meant to deliver improved health outcomes for our community, but instead, we have a system under immense pressure. The staff at Northern Beaches Hospital are amazing and working tirelessly, and while many have a great experience, too many haven’t. Two public hospitals were merged into one private facility, and the people of Pittwater have been left to deal with the consequences.
It took Michael Regan MP, a strong Independent next door in Wakehurst, to fight for our community and secure a performance audit of the Northern Beaches Hospital. This audit is now accepting submissions and now is the time to have your voice heard.''
''The Liberals didn’t want this audit – they are responsible for the decisions that led to these problems. It’s only with strong, independent voices that we can hold the government to account and demand better for our community and our local health services.''
See June 2024 report: Northern Beaches Hospital Audit Welcomed
''Pittwater deserves better. We need leaders who will stand up for our community and fight for the services we deserve – from reducing ambulance wait times to ensuring our hospital can deliver. I’m committed to being that voice for Pittwater, working alongside strong independents like Michael Regan, Dr Sophie Scamps, and Zali Steggall, who are delivering for the peninsula.''
''This by-election is a chance for us to push for better healthcare and improved services. The people of Pittwater have waited long enough – it's time for action.'' Ms Scruby stated
The Northern Beaches Hospital had 16,147 ED attendances, down 1.5% compared with same quarter previous year.
Arrivals to the ED by ambulance was 4,597, up 4.9% compared with same quarter the previous year.
Patients were transferred from paramedics to Northern Beaches Hospital ED staff within 30 minutes was 87.2%, down 8.1 percentage points compared with same quarter previous year.
Patients starting ED treatment on time is listed at 71.0%, down 5.9 percentage points compared with same quarter previous year.
Patients leaving ED within four hours was 46.9%, down 5.4 percentage points compared with same quarter previous year.
The Royal North Shore Hospital, where patients from our area can be transferred, showed ED attendances were up 2.6% while arrivals to the ED by ambulance was 5,103, up 6.2% compared with same quarter previous year, and patients transferred from paramedics to ED staff within 30 minutes was 72.1%, down 5.4 percentage points compared with same quarter previous year.
The BHI report shows ED's across the state are under strain, with cost-of-living pressures being attributed for the rise in some cases, and being unable to access a GP a cause in other presentations.
There were 795,817 emergency department (ED) attendances in the April to June quarter, up 3.3% from the same quarter last year and only marginally lower (1.8 %) than the record-breaking January to March 2024 quarter.
The latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Health Quarterly show the pressure on NSW EDs coincides with more residents struggling to access care through general practitioners (GPs).
The BHI results include new data showing a dramatic net decrease in the number of GP attendances per 100,000 people in NSW between 30 June 2022 and 30 June 2023 – from 754,709 to 653,802. This is the first and most significant decrease in GP attendances in over ten years of BHI reporting.
The government states this is consistent with the latest data from the Federal Department of Health & Aged Care which shows there were fewer GPs in NSW in 2023 than in 2019 – falling from 9,700 to 9,485.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has stated he is concerned that people are putting off care and management, particularly of chronic conditions, leading to their conditions deteriorating to a point where they become very unwell and need to present to an ED requiring critical care.
The BHI results show category 1, 2 and 3 presentations to EDs (representing the sickest patient cohort) have increased to record levels, outpacing population growth.
'We know many patients are presenting to EDs because they simply either cannot afford a GP, or are finding the next GP appointment is days or weeks away.' the government stated in a release
'Admitted patients waiting for aged care or NDIS placements are also placing pressure on patient flow, with almost 800 exceeding their estimated date of discharge, waiting a cumulative total of 41,000 days in NSW hospitals – or well over a century’s worth of bed days.
While access to primary care is managed by the Commonwealth, the NSW Government is partnering with HealthDirect to expand alternative care pathways. In 2023-24 more than 235,000 people who were assessed by HealthDirect received advice or referral to a health service avoiding a trip to the ED.'
The NSW Government’s strategy to relieve pressure on EDs includes creating pathways to care outside of the hospital as well as improving patient flow inside the hospital, through:
- $100 million for urgent care services and $171.4 million for three new virtual care services to divert hundreds of thousands of presentations from EDs;
- Allowing pharmacists to provide consultations for low complexity conditions, relieving pressure on GPs; and
- Improving patient flow within the hospital with $70 million for short stay units; $31.4 million for hospital in the home; and $53.9 million to deploy 86 patient flow officers in hospitals across the state.
The Minns Government has also introduced the $189 million Bulk-Billing Support Initiative which will help stem declining bulk-billing rates, and foster greater access to GPs, and in turn, hopefully relieve pressure on our busy hospitals.
The NSW Government has also established an ED Taskforce to review statewide direction, performance improvement and planning for system‑wide ED care in NSW.
Those with non-life-threatening conditions can access healthcare anywhere by calling HealthDirect for free on 1800 022 222 where you will speak with a registered nurse. Depending on your condition, the nurse will recommend the right care option for you and connect you with one of the many services available in NSW.
Minister for Health Ryan Park said:
“We are so grateful for the hard work of our dedicated hospital staff who are confronted with unprecedented pressure.
“While our EDs grapple with unprecedented pressure, I’m really encouraged by the work being undertaken in creating alternative pathways to care outside of the hospital. This is almost a quarter of a million people who may have otherwise ended up waiting a long time in a busy ED.
“We are undertaking a comprehensive and world leading range of measures to relieve our busy and stretched emergency departments.
“We know that the Federal Government is working hard to undo the impacts of the Federal Liberals’ freeze on Medicare rebates which had severe consequences for the accessibility of GPs.
“While access to primary care and GPs is a federal responsibility, the NSW Government is playing our part by investing in pathways to care outside of the hospital, while improving patient flow within the hospital. But we cannot do this on our own, and we are continuing to see our state health system shoulder the burden of the crisis in primary care.”
In 2023-24 more than 235,000 people who were assessed by HealthDirect received advice or referral to a health service avoiding a trip to the ED.
Despite significant pressure, many EDs have exhibited incredible resilience and even significant improvements in key performance indicators, including:
- Canterbury Hospital which saw an 18.9 per cent increase in the proportion of patients treated on time;
- Moree Hospital which saw a 14.8 per cent increase in the proportion of patients treated on time; and
- Liverpool Hospital which saw a 15.3 per cent improvement in the proportion of patients transferred from paramedics to ED staff.
