NSW hospitals could have 1700 patients stranded waiting for NDIS and aged care placements by 2027

Almost 1700 patients awaiting federal government-funded aged care or NDIS placements could be stranded in NSW public hospitals by the middle of 2027, new data has revealed.

The latest quarterly data from the Bureau of Health Information reports an uptick in the number of patients being treated on-time by the state’s emergency departments.

However, the progress was challenged by more than 1300 patients who no longer needed hospital care but were stranded awaiting government-funded support in a process known as bed block.

NSW Health estimates that number could rise to as many as 1700 by June next year if current trends continue, despite attempts by the federal government to reform the aged care and NDIS systems.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the number of people awaiting aged care or NDIS placements was “growing at an unprecedented and unsustainable level”, having risen over the past year by 300.

“For the first time, NSW Health has confirmed that one in eight ED accessible beds in NSW public hospitals cannot be used as a result,” he said.

“Waiting indefinitely in a hospital is not good for patient mobility, recovery or quality of life.

“Despite these challenges, we are continuing to see progress in emergency department wait times which has coincided with a significant investment from the Minns Labor Government into ED relief – and I want to thank our health workers for their hard work and commitment to our health system.”

Officials warn the impact of bed block is being felt at some of Sydney’s busiest hospitals.

In Sydney’s southeast, the number of people waiting for aged care or NDIS support surged from 68 to 157 in the year to June 2026.

At St George Hospital, located in the South Eastern Sydney Health District, the number of stranded patients increased from 17 to 64 – the largest increase and highest number of any hospital in NSW – while the number at the Prince of Wales, located in the same health area, increased from 20 to 47.

In the city’s west, the number of patients doubled at Bankstown Hospital from 15 to 30 and from 22 to 52 at Liverpool, with lesser increases at Westmead Hospital, Campbeltown Hospital, and Liverpool Hospital.

Across the board, older patients waiting for aged care placements saw the largest increase, rising almost 40 per cent in a year from 761 to 1063 patients.

The state government has invested $35.7m into its Aged Care Response Package, and is working with the federal government to expand services for older people wishing to remain in their own home.

For its part, the Commonwealth government has sought to massively reform aged care and the NDIS; however much of the latter – which will see more than 100,000 people booted from the scheme – will rely on state and territory government-funded alternatives.

Elsewhere, triage of category two patients – those with life-threatening conditions – had improved, according to the most recent data.

Ramping had also been reduced in the April to June quarter, with transfer of care from paramedics to the ED increasing to 80.3 per cent compared to four years prior.