More than one in four emergency department patients in NSW said they wouldn’t have gone to hospital if they could access a GP, according to new data from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI).
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said a national GP shortage has left people with “little choice but to present to [hospital] for non-emergency conditions.”
However, the Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) said pressures on emergency departments “cannot be primarily attributed to the GP shortage”. The union is calling for better pay and working conditions.
Findings
The BHI is a government agency that reports on the performance of the NSW healthcare system.
Its latest update shows more than 787,000 people presented to a NSW emergency department (ED) between July and September 2024 — up 2% from the previous year. Ambulance responses also rose by 6% for the same period.
Around 43% of ED presentations were classified as “semi-urgent” (280,000) or “non-urgent” (58,000). Issues in these categories include things like sprained ankles, colds, coughs, migraines, and rashes.
Regional NSW hospitals saw the highest increases in patient numbers.
Gunnedah Hospital in north-central NSW saw a 14.1% increase in emergency department patients compared to last year.
Deniliquin Hospital (near the NSW and Victoria border) saw an 11% increase.
The BHI data also showed that around one in 10 emergency patients left hospital before receiving treatment. This is up 10% from the September 2023 quarter.
Virtual healthcare
‘Virtual healthcare’ has been tabled as an alternative for patients considering visiting an ED for non-urgent issues.
For example, the Federal Government’s HealthDirect service, which connects patients with nurses over the phone.
BHI data for July to September shows around 102,000 people were diverted to HealthDirect instead of visiting the ED.
Budget
In response to the latest BHI report, Health Minister Ryan Park said the NSW Government is, “making significant investments in both alleviating pressure on our EDs as well as creating alternative pathways to care outside of the hospital.”
Earlier this year, the State Government announced a $480 million Emergency Department Relief Package, as part of the 2024-25 NSW Budget.
The funding includes measures to reduce ED wait times, improve patient outcomes and expand resources for paramedics.
Nurses and midwives
The NSWNMA said nurses are “at the forefront” of the state’s emergency crisis.
The union’s General Secretary Shaye Candish said nurses are “treating more seriously ill patients than ever before, with unparalleled numbers of emergency and urgent presentations”.
The NSWNMA is in an ongoing dispute with the State Government over pay and working conditions. Last month, stalled negotiations led to cancelled surgeries and job walk-outs by nurses and midwives across the state.
Opposition
The Federal Opposition said it’s “never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor”. It cited data from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, which estimates a national GP shortage of 11,000 doctors by 2031.
Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston said better incentives were needed to encourage junior doctors to become GPs.
The Coalition has called for a “comprehensive and multifaceted strategy,” to address the GP shortage. Ruston accused NSW and Federal Labor of being “unable to take accountability”.
