Media Release

NSW tops nation in timely emergency care

17 November 2016

Health Minister Jillian Skinner today welcomed a report showing NSW leads the nation in timely emergency department care.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Emergency department care 2015-16: Australian hospital statistics report shows 81 per cent of NSW emergency department patients were seen on time - that is, clinical care was commenced - within the time specified in five nationally-accepted triage categories: resuscitation (immediate), emergency (10 minutes), urgent (30 minutes), semi-urgent (60 minutes), non-urgent (120 minutes).

Victoria had the next largest proportion of patients seen on time (74 per cent), on par with the national average.

NSW hospitals also recorded the lowest median wait time for patients to commence clinical care in the emergency department (15 minutes), ahead of Victoria (19 minutes). The national result was 19 minutes.

Performance indicator NSW 2011-12 NSW 2015-16 Australia (2015-16)
Number of emergency patients 2,235,455 2,733,520 7,465,869
Median wait time clinical care commenced 19 minutes 15 minutes 19 minutes
90th percentile waiting time 103 minutes 78 minutes 93 minutes
Proportion of patients seen on time 76% 81% 74%

[Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (Emergency department care: Australian hospital statistics: 2015-16)]

Mrs Skinner said: “NSW continues to have the highest proportion of patients seen on time despite the increasing number of patients presenting to emergency departments. I am proud of the wonderful work our hospital staff are doing across the state.”

The report can be found at Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Hospitals.