1100 elderly patients stuck in NSW hospitals with nowhere else to go
Children's TV writer David Witt spent four months in hospital waiting for aged care placement he no longer medically needed.
David Witt, 74, wrote children's classics Blinky Bill and The Ferals. After arriving at Royal North Shore Hospital with pneumonia in July, he has been unable to leave.
About 1,100 older patients in NSW are stuck in hospitals like this. They are ready to leave but have no aged care placement.
His wife Carol says finding support has been nearly impossible. "There are no beds available unless you have a spare $800,000," she says.
The longer patients stay in hospital, the frailer they become. They also face a greater risk of catching hospital-acquired infections.
Emergency departments cannot admit new patients because ward beds are full. These beds hold people who no longer need hospital care.
If current trends continue, the number could reach 1,700 by June 2027.
- 1100
- Patients stuck in NSW hospitals
- Almost 4 months
- Months Witt spent admitted
- $800,000
- Cost Carol said needed to move up list
- 1700
- Projected stuck patients by June 2027
Why it mattersBed block stops emergency patients from being admitted to hospitals. It forces elderly people to get weaker in settings that are not right for them.
AustraliaThe crisis affects thousands of older Australians and their families, blocks emergency beds, and is driving a federal push for 5,000 new aged care places annually.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au·watoday.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
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