- Blacktown’s new ER struggles to meet patient demand
- Alarming images show where people are forced to wait
Concerns have been raised about overcrowding in Australian hospitals after a photo emerged of a woman lying on the floor of an emergency department.
The photo, taken last month, shows a woman in the waiting room of the new Emergency Department at Blacktown Hospital in Western Sydney, with a blanket, pillow and her belongings strewn across the floor in a makeshift bed.
The patient was brought in by ambulance at night and her relatives asked the staff for bedding so she could rest.
At the same time, we also saw others sitting on the floor in the cramped waiting room, while all the chairs were occupied.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns responded on Wednesday to concerns that the state’s hospital system is overstretched.
“We need to look at Blacktown in particular because our public hospitals are under enormous pressure,” he said.
“We want to do better when it comes to health outcomes.”
According to the NSW Bureau of Health Information’s Healthcare Quarterly report, the number of patients attending emergency departments in Blacktown has increased significantly in recent times, with an increase of 10.5 per cent in the January to March 2024 quarter compared to the same period a year earlier.
A woman is pictured in a makeshift bed in the Emergency Department of Blacktown Hospital as the waiting room becomes overcrowded with patients.
Another patient had to crash on the floor due to the long wait and lack of seating options
This equates to 1,598 more people visiting Blacktown ED compared to the same period in 2023, bringing the number to 16,776.
And it’s not just patients who are feeling the heat. Staff report waiting hours to use the same medical equipment, which is often in need of repair.
Shadow Health Minister Kellie Sloane says the hospital in western Sydney is consistently overcrowded and the state government must urgently intervene to address the pressing problem.
“People in Western Sydney are struggling because of two years of cuts to health services,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘What is happening at Blacktown Hospital is deeply disturbing and symptomatic of a health system in NSW that is in decline under Labor. Blacktown Hospital has seen a 10.5 per cent increase in A&E visits this year and sadly we are seeing the consequences.
The waiting room of the Emergency Department at Blacktown Hospital is pictured
Blacktown Hospital’s new modern Emergency Department opened to the public on 7 August 2019
‘In Sydney we should never have a situation where sick or injured people are forced to sleep on the floor.
‘This week the Prime Minister and his Health Minister have been busy fighting against nurses when they should have been focused on delivering better health outcomes for the people of New South Wales.’
The ED is part of the hospital’s new Acute Services Building and was described as a ‘ultimate healthcare facility’ by the company that built it, AW Edwards, when it opened in 2019.
Western Sydney Local Health District was approached for comment but did not respond before publication.