Minister for Health Ryan Park is encouraging people to take advantage of in-person and virtual urgent care services as emergency departments (EDs) experience a period of increased demand this winter.
There have been more than 45,000 presentations to NSW EDs over the past five days, with a peak of almost 10,000 ED presentations on Monday, a 9.2 per cent increase from the same time in July.
Across NSW, ED presentations for respiratory illnesses remain high and are contributing to increased pressure on public hospitals.
As of the week ending 24 August 2025, there were more than 900 ED presentations for influenza-like illness in NSW.
During periods of high demand, those with less urgent conditions can experience longer wait times when there are large numbers of seriously unwell patients being prioritised for emergency care.
Patients with urgent but not life-threatening conditions can avoid these longer wait times by attending urgent care services and clinics, or by accessing free virtual urgent care from anywhere in NSW.
Almost 16,000 patients have already accessed virtual urgent care over the past financial year, allowing them to receive high-quality care without a trip to the ED.
We acknowledge it can be challenging for people when they wait longer than expected in a busy ED, and we thank the community for their patience throughout periods of high demand.
NSW Health urges the community to do everything they can to protect themselves from COVID and influenza. People are encouraged to speak to their doctor about vaccination and about making a plan for testing and treatment if they do get sick.
There are a few simple steps people can take to protect themselves and others from respiratory illness, including:
- Staying up to date with their vaccinations
- Staying home if they're sick and wearing a mask if they need to go out
- Avoiding crowded spaces and getting together in well-ventilated spaces
- Considering doing a rapid antigen test before visiting those more vulnerable
- Making a plan with their doctor if they're at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or influenza about what to do if they get sick, including what test to take, and discussing if they are eligible for antiviral medicine
- Practicing good general hygiene, like regular handwashing.
If an illness or injury is not serious or life-threatening, we encourage the community to call healthdirect on 1800 022 222, for free, instant health advice anywhere, anytime, across NSW. A registered nurse will answer your call, ask some questions and connect you with the right care. This may include a nearby urgent care centre, doctor or pharmacist, or a specialist virtual care service.
The NSW Government continues to provide access to care and reduce wait times, by creating more pathways to care outside the hospital, as well as improving patient flow inside the hospital. This includes:
- $171.4 million to introduce additional virtual care services helping 180,000 avoid a trip to the ED
- $100 million to continue funding our urgent care services for a further two years to provide a pathway to care outside of our hospitals
- $70 million to expand ED short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce ED wait times by nearly 80,000 hours
- $15.1 million for an Ambulance Matrix that provides real time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to EDs with greater capacity and reducing wait times
- $31.4 million to increase Hospital in the Home across the state allowing over 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed
- $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identified patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.
The NSW Government also continues to introduce a range of measures to grow the health workforce, including:
- Implementing Safe Staffing Levels at more than 40 EDs across Sydney and regional NSW.
- Funding the equivalent of 1,112 FTE nurse and midwife positions on an ongoing basis.
- Abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other health workers.
- Hiring 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"The NSW Government is committed to ensuring people receive timely access to high-quality care in our emergency departments.
"I want to thank our highly skilled and dedicated health staff who continue to perform well throughout the very busy winter period.
"Our Urgent Care Services and virtual care offerings are making a real difference, and it is pleasing to see semi urgent and non-urgent presentations continuing to decrease across NSW EDs.
"We continue to work on relieving pressure on our busy emergency departments by creating more alternative pathways to care outside the hospital and I want to encourage people to call healthdirect on 1800 022 222, for 24-hour health advice for non-life-threatening conditions."
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