NSW public hospitals recorded improvements in ED performance, surgery wait times and fewer semi-urgent and non-urgent presentations in the latest Bureau of Health Information quarterly report.
This has coincided with record investment in the health system, with more staff in the EDs; investment in more surgeries; and the expansion of virtual care across the state.
NSW operates one of the largest public health systems in the world, with around 220 hospitals, more than 4,000 health facilities and over 170,000 staff caring for patients across the state.
At the same time as caring for patients every day, the health system is undergoing one of the largest hospital building programs in its history, with more than $12 billion being invested to rebuild and expand hospitals across NSW.
At the same time, hospitals are facing growing pressure from patients who are ready to leave but remain in hospital waiting for Commonwealth aged care or NDIS placements.
The progress in this report shows improvement in key areas, but it also highlights the scale of the challenge ahead and the need to keep strengthening staff numbers, services and hospital capacity across NSW.
Overdue surgeries reducing
At the end of the quarter, the number of patients who had waited longer than clinically recommended for their surgery was 3,845, down from 17,070 three years ago.
It coincides with over $200 million in investment to undertake more surgeries to clear the backlog.
ED performance improvements
The proportion of triage 2 patients with life threatening conditions being treated on time increased in the October December 2025 quarter compared to three years ago.
There was particular improvement in Western Sydney - the proportion of T2 patients treated on time increasing by almost a half compared to three years ago (from 27 per cent to 37.9).
There was also improvement in South West Sydney - the proportion of T2 patients treated on time (from 50.7 per cent to 57.1 per cent).
Notable hospitals which have improved the proportion of T2 patients treated on time compared to three years ago include:
- Blacktown Hospital, tripled (from 12.9 percent of patients to 40.8)
- Mount Druitt Hospital, doubled (from 21.0 per cent of patients to 44.2 per cent)
- Campbelltown Hospital, improved by more than a half (from 36.8 percent of patients to 59.5)
- Auburn Hospital, improved by more than a quarter (from 50.7 percent of patients to 65.5)
These improvements have been supported by over $500 million invested in our emergency departments.
Across the state, the number of semi-urgent and non-urgent patients also decreased by 26,000 over the same three year period - coinciding with an increased uptake of alternative pathways to care outside of hospitals, including Healthdirect and the expansion of virtual care services across NSW.
Patients awaiting placement
The improvements in hospital performance have been offset by the number of stranded patients waiting in our hospitals for Commonwealth aged care or NDIS placements.
The number of patients ready to be discharged but waiting for a Commonwealth aged care placement has almost doubled from 438 at the end of 2024 to 776 at the end of 2025.
As at 31 December 2025, bed block was responsible for the loss of 67,680 bed days - up from 41,345 in December 2024 - meaning not only are stranded patients increasing in our hospitals, they're also waiting longer.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"Our hospitals continue to show signs of progress and improvement in terms of ED and surgery wait times, which has coincided with our investments in more hospitals, more staff, and more pathways to care outside of the hospital.
"We're focused on saving our EDs for the patients who need it most while sparing people with non-life threatening conditions from an unnecessary wait.
"These improvements however are being offset by Commonwealth bed block - patients ready to be discharged but unable to leave because they are waiting for Commonwealth aged care or NDIS placements. They deserve better.
"I am so grateful for the additional help and assistance our federal colleagues announced last week, but there is more work to be done."
