Sarah Mitchell
Shadow Minister for Health
Shadow Minister for Regional Health
Shadow Minister for Mental Health
Monica Tudehope
Shadow Minister for Western Sydney
The latest BHI data has revealed that one in 10 emergency patients are waiting more than 24 hours for a hospital bed in NSW, while half of all admitted patients are waiting at least nine hours for an emergency bed, as the Minns Labor Government fails to come close to their promised hospital access targets.
Only 30 per cent of NSW patients needing a hospital bed spent fewer than six hours in emergency, falling well short of Labor’s 80% target.
Western Sydney Hospitals are among the state’s worst with Blacktown reaching only 12.8%, Westmead at 13.9%, Fairfield at 20.8%, Liverpool at 22.8%, and Bankstown-Lidcombe with 28.3%.
Shadow Minister for Health Sarah Mitchell said three years of Labor at a state and federal level has left our health system in this condition.
“Chris Minns based his entire election campaign on improving health services so he could get into government - well he has failed miserably, and that’s especially clear in Western Sydney,” Mrs Mitchell said.
“While the NSW Opposition has proposed sensible solutions like hospital hotels to help address the worsening ED crisis across Western Sydney, the Minns Labor Government continues to blame their federal Labor colleagues.
“Instead of addressing the record-low number of patients receiving timely treatment in the Blacktown emergency department, Chris Minns is orchestrating a photoshoot around the corner by re-opening a mental health centre in February 2026, that was already opened in April 2025.”
Shadow Minister for Western Sydney Monica Tudehope said this data confirms what Western Sydney residents already knew - that they are being left behind when it comes to emergency services.
“The people and families of Western Sydney don’t want excuses, they just want to see a doctor,” Ms Tudehope said.
“After three years in government, Chris Minns has delivered none of the 600 additional hospital beds he promised for Western Sydney.”