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NSW Hospitals Brace for 'Worst Three Weeks'
4 Aug
Summary
- Record 10,000 emergency presentations occurred on a single winter day.
- Hospitals are implementing a command centre to manage peak demands.
- Health officials cite vaccine hesitancy and NDIS patient backlog.
New South Wales hospitals are experiencing extreme pressure as the winter flu season peaks. On a recent winter day, nearly 10,000 people presented to Sydney emergency departments, marking the highest recorded winter day in history and significantly exceeding the average.
To manage this surge, the state government has launched a permanent command centre to coordinate peak hospital demands. This center will work with local health districts and ambulance services to redirect patients from overcrowded emergency departments (EDs). Operational hours for some hospital services are also being extended.
Health officials are urging the public to use alternatives like the Healthdirect phone service or urgent care clinics for non-life-threatening conditions. The rise in presentations is linked to influenza, Covid-19, and RSV. Vaccine hesitancy, particularly for the influenza vaccine, and a backlog of 1,300 NDIS and aged care patients in state hospitals are exacerbating the crisis.
Emergency department nurses report wait times up to 10 hours, highlighting the severity of the situation. Medical professionals emphasize that EDs are for emergencies and that improved investment in prevention, general practice, and public outpatient care is needed.
