More than 515,000 patients were admitted to hospitals across New South Wales (NSW) during the second quarter of 2025, marking a record high for the state’s healthcare system. This surge in admissions has prompted concerns from medical professionals, who claim that critical data regarding hospital performance is not being adequately communicated to the public. The latest report from the Bureau of Health Information indicates that from April to June 2025, the healthcare system performed nearly 65,000 elective surgeries, the highest number recorded since reporting began in 2010.
Despite these figures, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has raised alarms about the representation of certain data in the report. AMA NSW president Kathryn Austin criticized the Bureau for allegedly downplaying significant figures. For instance, only 66.1 percent of non-urgent surgeries, which should ideally be completed within a year, were performed on time. This figure represents a marked decline from 82.4 percent in the same quarter of 2024.
Concerns Over Waiting Times and Data Transparency
Dr. Austin emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “Hiding these results does not make the problem go away—it only undermines confidence in the system and makes it harder to drive necessary change.” The AMA reported that one in ten patients spent over 13 hours in the emergency department of urban hospitals, which they deemed unacceptable.
In defense of its reporting methods, the Bureau of Health Information stated that it consistently applies the same criteria of objectivity and fairness when presenting key findings. A spokesperson explained, “The decrease in the percentage of elective surgeries performed on time is a direct result of the large number of patients who had been overdue receiving their surgery during the quarter.” They assured the public that surgery waiting time information remains accessible, accompanied by clear graphs illustrating waiting times and the percentage of timely surgeries.
The situation has prompted Health Minister Ryan Park to acknowledge the continued demand on hospitals while highlighting the government’s efforts to alleviate pressure on the system. “We’re investing in more staff, more hospitals, and more beds, more quickly,” he stated. Park noted improvements in wait times and the reduction of patients “ramping” outside emergency departments.
The report documented 785,084 attendances in emergency departments, showing a slight decrease of 1.3 percent compared to the same quarter in 2024. Dr. Hilary Rowell, the Bureau’s acting chief executive, remarked that while fewer patients with less urgent conditions visited emergency departments, there were record numbers of patients presenting with more serious health issues.
Focus on Staffing and Service Improvement
The government attributed some of the improvements to a recruitment drive aimed at adding nearly 3,000 full-time health workers, contributing to retention rates returning to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, there has been an increase in urgent and virtual care health services, which have helped manage patient flow more effectively.
According to the report, nearly 80 percent of patients arriving by ambulance were transferred to emergency department staff within 30 minutes, marking an improvement of 5.6 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024.
As hospitals in NSW continue to navigate the challenges of high admission rates and public scrutiny over data transparency, both medical professionals and government officials are working toward solutions that prioritize patient care and improve the overall healthcare experience.
