Emergency departments in New South Wales (NSW) are experiencing unprecedented overcrowding due to a spike in winter illnesses, prompting the state’s health minister, Ryan Park, to advise the public to utilize the health hotline rather than visiting emergency rooms. This situation marks one of the most challenging periods for healthcare professionals, with doctors describing the current conditions as the “worst they have ever seen.”
In a statement released on Thursday, Park reported that there have been over 45,000 presentations to emergency departments in just five days. On Monday alone, nearly 10,000 presentations occurred, reflecting a 9.2% increase compared to the same period in July of the previous year. The week prior, more than 900 presentations were attributed to influenza-like illnesses in the state.
Park emphasized that officials are actively seeking ways to alleviate the strain on emergency departments by creating alternative care pathways outside hospitals. He encouraged individuals to contact Healthdirect for 24-hour health advice regarding non-life-threatening conditions.
A south-west Sydney emergency physician, speaking anonymously as a delegate for the doctors’ union Asmof, stated, “Myself and my colleagues all agree that this has been the worst winter by far, and the level of overcrowding in our ED is the worst we’ve ever seen.” The physician expressed concern that increasing demands are placed on healthcare providers without corresponding increases in resources.
Many healthcare professionals are facing an overwhelming influx of patients, exacerbated by an aging population and difficulties in accessing general practitioners. Despite a decrease in semi-urgent and non-urgent presentations at emergency departments, the number of critically ill patients remains high, consuming significant resources.
According to the Bureau of Health Information, during the first quarter of 2025, the median time for a patient to be treated and either admitted to a hospital or transferred was eight hours. The target for timely admissions is that 80% of patients should have an emergency department wait time of less than six hours. Unfortunately, the report revealed that around 10% of those requiring admission or transfer faced wait times close to 22 hours.
In response to claims about wait times and resource shortages, Park described them as “unsubstantiated.” Dr. Rhys Ross-Browne, chair of the NSW faculty for the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, acknowledged a decrease of roughly 10% in low acuity presentations but highlighted that emergency departments remain overwhelmed by seriously ill patients.
Another significant factor contributing to overcrowding is the high number of patients occupying acute hospital beds despite no longer requiring hospital care. Many of these individuals cannot be discharged due to a lack of available residential aged care or National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supported accommodation.
The anonymous emergency physician reiterated that the root of the overcrowding issue lies in the unavailability of beds within hospitals. They criticized the state government for not sufficiently investing in public health, attributing the situation to either neglect or political challenges.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the effectiveness of directing patients to Healthdirect. An emergency physician from Asmof questioned the value of this approach, noting that nurses cannot conduct physical examinations and often end up directing patients to hospitals anyway. In response, Travis Hodgson, chief operations officer of Healthdirect, stated that their role is to guide callers to the most appropriate services, successfully redirecting potential emergency department visits 61% of the time.
The union continues to advocate for better healthcare conditions through its campaign “Can’t see a doctor? Ask the premier,” which has seen promotional materials displayed in emergency departments following their industrial action in April.
Park acknowledged the hard work of health staff during this demanding winter season and noted that 2,500 nurses will be recruited. Additionally, there are now almost 3,000 more health workers in the public system compared to the previous year. He pointed out that a significant increase in individuals waiting for aged care or NDIS placements in public hospitals is an ongoing systemic issue.
The current situation underscores the urgent need for effective solutions to the challenges facing NSW hospitals, as healthcare professionals continue to navigate an unprecedented winter surge in patient presentations.
