NSW sees ramping reductions across some of its busiest EDs

Some of New South Wales’ busiest emergency departments have seen significant reductions in hospital ramping, according to the latest Bureau of Health Information quarterly results.

Regarding ‘Transfer of Care’ — the proportion of patients transferred from paramedics to ED staff within 30 minutes, one of the key indicators of hospital ramping — hospital EDs to improve in the latest results include:

• Liverpool Hospital, with 7.2% improvement in transfer of patient from paramedic to ED staff in the December 2024 quarter compared with the same period the previous year — having received more than 90,000 ED attendances last year;
• Campbelltown Hospital, with 9.3% improvement — receiving more than 92,000 ED attendances last year;
• Blacktown Hospital, with 23.2% improvement — receiving more than 67,000 ED attendances last year; and
• St George Hospital, with 25% improvement — receiving more than 82,000 ED attendances last year.
   

These improvements come despite the health system recording the highest ever number of patients arriving to EDs by ambulance, which amounted to almost 200,000 in a single quarter.

“Relieving pressure on our emergency departments and ensuring people receive care in a timely manner have been top priorities of our government,” NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said. “Such significant challenges have been met with a significant half-a-billion dollar investment in ED relief.”

Ryan was “pleased to see encouraging progress in our effort to reduce ramping”, but also said, “I do want to reiterate that people who present to hospitals with non-life-threatening conditions can still expect to wait long periods in the ED.”

Ryan encouraged those with a non-life-threatening condition to avoid an unnecessary wait in the ED by phoning Healthdirect on 1800 022 222, where people can receive care outside of the hospital, including through urgent or virtual care services.

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