Challenges in accessing primary care are continuing to put pressure on busy hospital emergency departments across NSW, with more than one in four patients presenting to EDs saying they wouldn’t be there if they could just access a general practitioner.
According to new Bureau of Health Information (BHI), 28 per cent of ED patients surveyed said they would have gone to a GP to treat their condition, but had no choice other than to go to a hospital.
Many people are presenting to EDs with non-life threatening conditions because they couldn’t find an appointment within a reasonable time or a GP that bulk-bills.
It comes as the latest BHI data for the September 2024 quarter shows record pressure on NSW hospitals, with 787,590 ED attendances – up 2.1 per cent or 15,949 compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
NSW Ambulance responses were also the highest on record at 385,873 – an increase of 22,622 responses, or 6.2 per cent, compared with the same period in 2023.
More positively, semi-urgent and non-urgent presentations have continued a downward trend as the bulk of the state government’s urgent care services came online.
Breaking down the numbers
Of the more than 787,000 attendances to NSW EDs, 281,912 were presentations by patients in the semi-urgent category (triage category 4), and 58,023 in the non-urgent category (triage category 5) – a combined decrease of 2,451 presentations in these categories compared with the same quarter in 2023.
These conditions can include minor aches and pains, sprained ankles, migraines, earaches, rashes, coughs and colds.
Some 102,000 people were diverted away from EDs during this period thanks to HealthDirect – a phoneline which directs people to a registered nurse who can guide them to a pathway to care outside of the hospital, including through urgent care or virtual care services.
This compares to 72,000 people diverted away from EDs during the same quarter last year.
Action
The NSW government says it’s continuing to roll out its comprehensive ED relief package, which includes:
- $171.4 million to introduce three additional virtual care services helping 180,000 avoid a trip to the ED.
- $100 million to back urgent care services to become a mainstay and key instrument of the health system by providing a pathway to care outside of hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients.
- $70 million to expand emergency department 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 emergency departments 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 government has also announced initiatives to help alleviate the impacts of primary care access including $189 million to incentivise GPs to bulk-bill through providing payroll tax relief and empowering pharmacists to prescribe medications for low complexity conditions.
This month, the Minns government also announced more than $200 million to reduce overdue surgeries, including those impacted by recent industrial action as well as a more severe than expected winter season, by allocating $18.6 million towards fast tracking planned surgeries and $186.4 million towards boosting hospital capacity, to ensure planned surgeries can continue to be delivered on time.
Political response
NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park said, ‘I know the Commonwealth Government has made significant efforts to address its GP shortage crisis.
‘The impact of the Federal Liberals’ and Nationals’ freeze on the Medicare rebate will be felt for some time to come and won’t be undone overnight.
‘The reality is however, the Commonwealth’s GP shortage crisis is placing severe pressure on our hospitals as people have little choice but to present to our EDs for non-emergency conditions.
‘The NSW government is playing our part by making significant investments in both alleviating pressure on our EDs as well as creating alternative pathways to care outside of the hospital,’ said Mr Park.
