NDIS delays clogging NSW hospital beds, as Health Minister blames feds
NDIS and aged care patients staying longer in hospital than expected have cost NSW $40 million, enough for 400 nurses.
NSW
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Hundreds of National Disability Insurance Scheme patients are languishing in NSW hospitals while waiting for a funding package, putting strain on emergency departments and making wait times worse.
Crippling aged care shortages are also clogging up hospital beds with patients unable to leave hospital because they have nowhere to go.
Health Minister Ryan Park has slammed the federal government over failings in the NDIS and Aged Care sector, which has cost NSW $40 million – enough to hire some 400 nurses.
As of last week, 765 NDIS and aged care patients were waiting in NSW hospitals beyond their expected discharge rate. The patients have been in hospital for a combined 37,015 longer than had been expected.
More than 300 NDIS patients are in hospital waiting for a funding package so they can be discharged.
There are 460 aged care patients waiting in hospital for a placement.
In a speech to the McKell Institute today, Mr Park will accuse the federal government of not being “really committed” to solving the problem.
“Too many beds are occupied by NDIS patients who cannot be discharged because there are delays to their funding package and aged care patients who cannot be released into aged care simply because there are no places,” he will say.
He will also blame hospital shortages on a lack of medical graduates choosing to become GPs.
“Primary care, the NDIS and aged care all have one thing in common - the responsibility of the Commonwealth government,” he is expected to say.
“It reminds me of the fable about the chicken and the pig opening a restaurant: what’s the difference between the two when bacon and eggs are on the menu? The chicken is involved but the pig is really committed.”
“My federal counterparts are interested, but it's the state that pays the price and we are a paying this price dearly and daily.”
The NDIS and aged care patients clogging up hospital wards due to federal government failings are the latest drain on the state’s emergency departments, which have been flooded with frivolous cases who could be seen at a GP.
Those cases included a teenager being treated at 3am for a “broken acrylic nail” and a man who was offered bandaids after presenting with heel blisters.
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