Premier Chris Minns has come under fire after images of two elderly men sleeping on the floor of Blacktown Hospital's emergency department were posted to Facebook. Nurses say the public health system is in crisis.

Blacktown

Images showing elderly patients lying on the floor at Blacktown Hospital have drawn attention to ongoing challenges in the New South Wales public health system. One patient, Ray, waited over 24 hours to be admitted despite critically low haemoglobin levels, with his daughter highlighting the lack of beds and long emergency wait times. 

The incident has reignited debate over hospital resources, with statistics showing that while the percentage of patients starting emergency treatment on time at Blacktown has improved from 36% to 41% since the last election, it remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels. The government has pointed to upcoming hospital redevelopments in several areas as part of efforts to address the strain on the system.

Elderly patients made to sleep on floor of Blacktown Hospital

Trying to find comfort on the floor. It's a frightening image of a hospital in crisis and a hospital system in crisis. Two men, aged in their 70s and 80s, one covered by a blanket, the other lying on one at Blacktown Hospital. How did you feel seeing those images and is that something that's acceptable in this state? No, it's not. I mean, they're really confronting images. We don't like to and we don't want to see that in our public hospitals. The photos were posted by Hayley, a concerned daughter. This is the sad reality of our public health system and emergency waiting times and lack of beds, she wrote. This man is her father, Ray. The granddad waited more than 24 hours to be admitted after arriving on Saturday with critically low haemoglobin levels. Hayley tells me her dad was incredibly reluctant to go to hospital in the first place and then begged his family to let him leave. He believes he would have received better care in a regional facility. He's only in Sydney right now because he lost his home in the Lismore floods. We know that nurses and midwives are on their knees calling out for support and help because the system is under such strain. It's three years to the day since Chris Minns posted a 2am video of him visiting Blacktown Hospital. We're standing in front of this hospital promising better. Well, it is worse by far under Labor. The percentage of patients starting emergency treatment on time at Blacktown has improved recently from a low of 36% in the January quarter right before the 2023 election. It has now risen to 41% this year. However, at the onset of COVID, it was at nearly 69%. Look, I'd like to see further improvement quicker. The Government pointing to coming hospital redevelopments at Bankstown, Rouse Hill, Canterbury, Fairfield and Mount Druitt. Lachlan Kennedy, 10 News.

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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Tehran

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Taipei

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As Suwayda

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Tokyo

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Caracas

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Damascus

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Hạ Long Bay

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Breakdown