Westmead Hospital Wait Times Worsen

The Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF) has highlighted the increasing pressure on New South Wales hospitals, citing recent data from Westmead Hospital that reveals worsening wait times and ambulance ramping. The figures confirm longstanding warnings from doctors about the state’s healthcare system.

Recent statistics from the Bureau of Health Information show that Westmead Hospital’s emergency department has some of the worst wait times and ambulance transfer delays in New South Wales. This is despite a billion-dollar redevelopment of the hospital.

ASMOF NSW President Dr Nicholas Spooner stated, “Doctors have been telling the NSW Government this for many years. You can build new wards, new emergency departments and new operating theatres, but if you do not have enough skilled and experienced doctors, enough nurses, enough staffed beds and enough capacity across the system, patients will still wait too long for care, impacting their well-being.”

Staffing Shortages Impact Patient Care

According to Dr Spooner, the situation at Westmead Hospital is indicative of a broader crisis in NSW. Despite infrastructure improvements, the lack of investment in staffing has resulted in overcrowded emergency departments and significant delays in patient care.

He explained, “As we have always said, clearly, this is a failure of workforce planning. The hospital system does not have enough capacity to meet demand. Urgent action needs to be taken to address it.”

The union president also criticised claims that NSW’s healthcare performance is better than other states, arguing that such metrics do not reflect the day-to-day experiences of patients and medical staff in emergency situations.

The ongoing issue of bed block remains one of the most pressing problems across the state’s health system, Dr Spooner highlighted. Without addressing these structural issues, patients and clinicians will continue to suffer under the strain.

“NSW is struggling to recruit and retain doctors because it pays the lowest in the country and subjects doctors to some of the most unsafe and unsustainable working conditions in Australia,” Dr Spooner stated, highlighting the need for competitive remuneration and safe working conditions.

He urged the NSW Government to take serious action to resolve these issues, insisting that both patients and doctors deserve better support from the state.