Under Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals and Nationals, people in NSW have to wait longer to get an ambulance, longer to be treated in an emergency department and longer for important non-urgent surgeries.
This is the scathing picture presented by the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) released today, shining a light on 12 years of under investment in the NSW health system under this Liberal and National Government.
Across the state, 76,117 patients left emergency without completing treatment – or one in 10. This is the highest number on record and a 68 per cent jump in just three years. To add insult to injury, one in five of those who left, had to re-present within three days.
If a patient did wait in emergency to seek treatment, one in 10 emergency department patients spent an astonishing 21 hours and 16 minutes in the waiting room of an emergency department – again the longest on record.
Almost half (48.4 per cent) of patients with the highest category emergency – patients who require immediate help – did not start treatment on time, again the worst result on record. For all emergency department presentations, four in 10 (38.2 per cent) did not start on time.
These figures show the dire state of our health system. It’s not fair on our hardworking healthcare professionals to have to manage a system that is stretched to its limits.
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said:
This is a sobering read, that is a wake-up call for every single political leader and political party in our state. The latest BHI data shows a system that is failing.
“Under Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals and Nationals we have longer waiting times, a stretched hospital system, and over worked front line health workers.
“A world class health system is not one where people choose to leave emergency departments before they get treated or when people have to wait almost 24 hours to be seen.
“Our hospitals need more resources, our health staff need more support and the people of NSW deserve better.”
NSW Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park said:
“This is a damning report on the health crisis right across NSW.
“Twelve years of understaffing and under resourcing our health and hospital system means communities now wait longer than ever before for an ambulance to arrive, longer to get treated at their local emergency department and longer to get essential surgery.
“When more than 76,000 people walk out of their local emergency department before they get treated highlights the extent of the crisis.
“We have a Government who has been focused on cutting ribbons instead of ensuring our hospitals and health services are safely staffed and resourced.”