Inquiry Launched into Surge of Aged Care Patients Stuck in NSW Hospitals

A new inquiry by the NSW Productivity & Equality Commission will examine the growing number of older patients stuck in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge, with a focus on the costs and system-wide impacts of the issue.

The review follows a recent Health Ministers Meeting, where the NSW Government successfully pushed for the creation of a national Hospital Discharge Joint Taskforce aimed at tackling delays across Australia's public hospital network.

The Commission will deliver recommendations within six months, targeting ways to reduce discharge bottlenecks, improve access to appropriate care settings, and ease mounting pressure on hospitals.

The number of so-called "stranded" aged care patients has risen sharply. In December 2023, around 300 patients were unable to leave NSW public hospitals due to a lack of Commonwealth-funded aged care placements. By 2025, that figure has surged to 776. Over the same period, the total number of days these patients remained in hospital beds jumped from 11,943 to 44,487.

NSW Health will support the inquiry by providing data, expertise, and staff to help identify improvements both within hospitals and across the broader care system. The goal is to ensure patients receive appropriate care sooner while strengthening service availability.

At the same time, the national Hospital Discharge Joint Taskforce-co-led by the Commonwealth and NSW Governments-will begin work to address delays affecting patients waiting for aged care or NDIS placements after being cleared for discharge.

Although aged care access falls under Commonwealth responsibility, the NSW Government has introduced interim measures to reduce hospital congestion. These include outreach programs where doctors treat aged care patients in their homes or residential facilities, potentially avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said the current situation is placing unacceptable strain on both patients and the health system, with hospital beds tied up that are urgently needed for more serious cases. He emphasised the need for immediate action, noting that while the issue is national, NSW cannot afford to wait for a federal solution.

Health Minister Ryan Park said the scale of the problem is equivalent to losing the capacity of an entire hospital each day. He stressed that hospitals are not designed for long-term stays and that patients deserve more appropriate care options. He described the trend as alarming and unsustainable, noting it has tripled in just three years, and said the review would help identify further solutions while the state continues to press the Commonwealth for action.