Patients in New South Wales have been advised to avoid emergency rooms unless their life is at risk, following a record day for winter presentations that has strained the hospital system.
On Monday, just under 10,000 people presented to emergency departments in Sydney, marking the "biggest ever recorded winter day in history," according to New South Wales health minister Ryan Park. This figure was approximately 1,000 more than the average.
Mr Park noted that west and south-west Sydney were particularly affected, and there were also 4,100 ambulance callouts, which was "far more" than anticipated. The state government has announced a permanent command centre to coordinate hospital demands this winter, aiming to redirect patients from busy emergency departments.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, stated that the state's emergency health services are preparing for the "worst three weeks of the year." He urged people to use urgent care clinics or see their GP if their condition is not life-threatening, to allow doctors and nurses to focus on critical cases.
Mr Park also suggested that vaccine hesitancy has exacerbated the situation, making it challenging to encourage uptake of the influenza vaccination before winter. He said this issue is affecting health systems globally.