Spike in ambulance demand as ED admissions also rise

Emergency departments and ambulance services remain under the pump in NSW, with demand for both continuing to outpace the state's population growth. or signup to continue reading Ambulance personnel attended nearly 285,000 incidents between April and June, a figure the Bureau of Health Information said was the highest experienced since it began reporting the date in 2010. But despite the eight per cent jump compared with the previous year, average response times remained stable.

Nearly 796,000 people presented to NSW's emergency departments between April and June, up three per cent from the same quarter a year earlier. Only 64 per cent of emergency patients started treatment on time, down two per cent from a year earlier. Bureau chief executive Diane Watson said the reasons behind the increase in emergency department and ambulance action were not easily explained, with demand outpacing population growth since 2017/18.



"During this period, ED attendances grew 3.4 per cent faster than the population, even after accounting for the state's increasing average age, while ambulance responses grew 4.5 per cent faster than the population," she said.

Health Minister Ryan Park also pointed to data showing more than 235,000 people were assessed by the HealthDirect service, which allows a patient to receive online advice and potentially avoid a trip to the emergency department. "This is almost a quarter of a million people who may have otherwise ended up a long time in a busy ED," he said. A separate study found most patients in NSW's public hospitals had a positive experience with their health carers.

In 2023, 88 per cent felt they were always treated with respect and dignity, and 85 per cent said health professionals were always kind and caring. The study also found 72 per cent of patients who experienced pain in hospital felt health professionals did everything they could to mange their pain, and 74 per cent said the right amount of information had been given to their family or carer. BHI data showed mixed results on NSW's elective surgery waiting list.

At the end of June, 1860 patients had been on the waiting list for longer than clinically recommended, down from 9107 a year earlier. Among elective surgeries, 87 per cent were performed on time, up eight per cent from the previous year. But the number of patients on the waiting list grew by eight per cent between 2018/19 and 2022/23.

DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters.

WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Sunday explore destinations, deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around Australia and the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on.

WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep.

Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner.

TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper.

Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement.