Stranded NSW patients waiting for aged care surge 59% yoy
NSW Calls For More Home Care Packages
- Hospital backlog: 948 patients waiting for aged care
- Federal pressure: NSW urges faster Support at Home rollout
- Bed block: Aged care delays strain hospitals
- State response: NSW expands home-based care services
"We're essentially doing the Commonwealth's job," said NSW Health Minister Ryan Park.
As of 31 March 2026, there were 948 patients in NSW hospitals waiting for aged care according to new data from the State Government.
The Minister called on the Federal Government to "fast track" the number of Support at Home packages released "as quickly as we can".
"Otherwise, I'm concerned that not only will the state be forced to do what we're now doing, spending tens of millions of dollars every single year on essentially doing the Commonwealth's job."
In January, the Federal Government committed an additional $25 billion over five years for State hospitals. This brought the total health funding agreement to $220 billion for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31.
In April, Health Minister Mark Butler announced an additional $3 billion to build new aged care beds.
"Whilst the Commonwealth government has come to the party recently around increasing beds, it is simply not going to be enough," the Minister said.
"When you're seeing 1,300 beds taken out of your bed base every single morning (including 328 waiting for disability support), that means many, many people in NSW have pressures getting into our emergency departments."
The situation is "unsustainable", he said, leaving the NSW Government with "no choice but to devise its own plan".
NSW Government has expanded its aged care outreach services delivering short-term multidisciplinary care to older people in their own home to reduce avoidable hospitalisations, and strengthened Hospital in the Home services to support more older people.
“The NSW Government is effectively subsidising the Commonwealth in its duty to provide aged care places," Park said.
“While the NSW Government is pursuing its own plan to address bed block, this is by no means a signal to the Commonwealth that they are relieved of their responsibility to deliver aged care placements."
Last week The Weekly SOURCE reported record numbers of stranded hospital patients in South Australia and a monthly high for ambulance ramping in Western Australia.
With winter only just begun, pressure on hospitals will only intensify in the coming months.
