Patients out of patience: record numbers give up on NSW emergency departments

Continued pressure on the New South Wales health system has seen patients waiting longer than ever for ambulances and facing long delays before seeing a doctor in hospital.

More than 76,000 people left emergency departments without finishing treatment or even being seen by a doctor.

One in five patients who leave the ED before completing treatment is likely to return within three days, bureau acting chief executive Hilary Rowell said.

The report found about 60% of ED patients were seen on time, a record low result for the state.

Emergency visits were up 5.2% from the same period before the pandemic in 2019, but fell from a record high in 2021.

However, NSW Health maintained that despite the stress of Covid-19, the flu and furloughed staff, hospitals performed well and delivered high-quality care during the winter period.

While hospitals endured a busy quarter, they also dealt with an increase in the complexity of ED presentations.

Ambulances were also in high demand, with patients facing record average wait times.

The number of call-outs classed as life-threatening has grown by more than 85% since before the pandemic.

Wait times for nonurgent elective surgery is also on the rise, with more than 26,000 people who had surgery in the quarter having waited just under a year.

President of the NSW branch of the Australian Paramedics Association, Chris Kastelan, said the situation was deteriorating.