TRISH DOYLE MP

Member for Blue Mountains

LOCAL HOSPITAL WAIT TIMES UNACCEPTABLE

Figures obtained from NSW Health are painting a dire picture of wait times in our local hospitals. Under the NSW Liberals and Nationals, Emergency Department wait time blowouts at the Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital, Nepean Hospital, and Lithgow Hospital have become out of control.

Figures for the period January-March 2022 show that a staggering 61.1% of Emergency Department patients at Nepean Hospital were not seen within four hours, a 7.1% increase on the same period in the previous year.

“The fact that at our region’s biggest hospital, a majority of Emergency Department patients were not seen within the timeframe that this Liberal and Nationals Government has set to measure its own performance is frankly unforgiveable.” Blue Mountains Labor MP Trish Doyle said.

“My office hears regularly from people trying to access local Emergency Departments are increasingly they are telling me that they have been left sometimes all day or all night until they can be seen by a doctor.”

“One young man who contacted me had to wait over 12 hours to have appendicitis treated. I’ve had calls from people in tears because their elderly parents have been left out in the corridor on trolleys because there aren’t enough beds. I’ve had staff write to me to tell me they feel overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated.”

“The crisis in our local hospitals is symptomatic of a Government that has become addicted to neglecting Western Sydney and regional New South Wales.” Ms. Doyle said.

Figures for non-urgent elective surgery wait times were similarly scathing with an average wait of 363 days at Nepean Hospital and 379 days at Lithgow Hospital.

Emergency department wait times also increased at both Blue Mountains District Hospital and Lithgow Hospital during the period with 33.3% of patients at Blue Mountains District Hospital waiting longer than 4 hours to be seen, an increase of 6% and 20.6% at Lithgow Hospital, an increase of 3%.

“The fabulous staff of the Nepean-Blue Mountains Local Health District have been under enormous pressure, particularly over the past two years. They deserve a Government that will work to make sure Hospitals are properly equipped so that they can deliver for patients. The NSW Liberals and Nationals have had eleven long years to be that Government and have proven themselves utterly incapable.” Ms. Doyle concluded.

DATE: WEDNESDAY JUNE 15^TH