Decline in Australian Hospital Emergency Department Performance: Report
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Synopsis
A recent report reveals a persistent decline in the percentage of Emergency Department (ED) visits completed within the benchmark target at Australian hospitals. The Australian Medical Association's findings indicate that only 55% of ED presentations were finalized within the four-hour target for the eighth consecutive year.
Key Takeaways
- The percentage of ED visits completed within four hours has fallen for the eighth year.
- Only 55% of ED presentations met the benchmark in 2023-24.
- One-third of emergency patients did not see a doctor within the recommended 10 minutes.
- Investment in the health system is critical to improve performance.
- Call for prioritization of hospitals by political leaders.
Canberra, Feb 28 (NationPress) The percentage of Emergency Department (ED) visits at Australian hospitals that were finalized within the set benchmark has decreased for the eighth consecutive year.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA), the nation's leading group of doctors, released its 2025 public hospital report card on Friday, indicating that only 55 percent of ED visits across the country were completed within the target of four hours in 2023-24.
This marks the eighth year in a row that this performance metric has declined, with the AMA noting a drop from 73 percent in 2014-15.
An ED visit is deemed complete within four hours if a patient is either discharged or leaves the department within that time frame.
The report highlighted, “The decline in performance for this metric is worryingly consistent across Australia. Alarmingly, no jurisdiction saw more than 60 percent of ED presentations completed within four hours.”
In 2019-20, every state and territory except one had over 60 percent of ED presentations completed within four hours.
Approximately one-third of all ED patients classified as “emergency,” including those with chest pain, severe respiratory distress, or acute stroke, were not attended to by a doctor within the recommended 10-minute window in 2023-24, an increase from 25 percent in 2018-19.
The report noted that while the total number of public hospital beds in Australia has grown, the number of available beds per 1,000 individuals aged 65 and over remains at a historic low of 14.3, according to Xinhua news agency.
“Without increased investment in our health system by both state and federal governments, capacity will continue to fall, and our already overworked hospital staff will continue to be impacted, with increasing rates of burnout,” stated Danielle McMullen, AMA President, in the report.
She pointed out that the annual report has documented a “steady decline in public hospital performance” since its inception in 2007.
The 2025 report was released ahead of Australia’s general election, which must take place by May 17.
McMullen urged all politicians and political parties across the nation to prioritize the health system, including hospitals.
