Patients waited longer for treatment at both Katoomba and Nepean hospitals in the April-June quarter this year than in 2021, with the latest figures reflecting the pressures on the state health system from the Omicron strain of COVID combined with the influenza season.
Statistics from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) showed 57 per cent of people were treated on time in the emergency department at Blue Mountains Anzac Memorial Hospital in the quarter, down from 79 per cent in the same period last year.
At Nepean, only 39 per cent of patients received care on time, down from 50 per cent in 2021.
Patients arriving by ambulance were transferring into hospital care within 30 minutes 86 per cent of the time at Katoomba, well above the state average of 73 per cent.
But at Nepean the figure was just 57 per cent, leading to so-called ambulance 'ramping' where patients are left in the vehicle for longer because there are no emergency department beds available.
The data showed 59 per cent of Katoomba patients were treated and left the ED within four hours (down from 71 per cent a year ago) while at Nepean it was 38 per cent (down from 48 per cent).
And the number of people walking out of emergency departments without receiving any treatment, or finishing their treatment, is on the rise.
At Katoomba, some 354 patients out of the total of 5,005 walked out before they had been treated or before care was completed. This represents 7 per cent of all presentations, up from 5 per cent at the same time last year.
Nepean's walk-outs numbered 2,318, which was 12 per cent of the total of 18,724 patients who went to the emergency department. This was up from 9 per cent last year.
The acting chief executive of the BHI, Hilary Rowell, said analysis showed that one in five patients who left before receiving treatment returned to an emergency department within three days.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association said the rising levels of walk-outs showed the need to improve nurse-patient ratios at hospitals across the state.
The association's general secretary, Shaye Candish, said the report card was an alarming reminder of the demand on public hospitals and reflected the extreme pressure experienced by nursing staff.
"Our public health system has been under enormous pressure for an extended period, held together by nurses, midwives and other health staff stretching themselves beyond what is reasonable," said Ms Candish.
"The sheer volume of patients leaving our emergency departments before starting their care is shameful. Returning within a few days to try and access care, as they've likely deteriorated, doesn't depict a 'world class' health system, or one that's meeting the needs of NSW patients."
Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District chief executive Kay Hyman thanked staff for their ongoing commitment.
"While this period of high activity has been challenging, I can't stress enough the gratitude and admiration I have for our staff and their commitment to caring for their patients, the community and one another," Mrs Hyman said.
"This year saw the return of an early, relentless influenza season, coupled with COVID-19, which meant more complex ways of working."
