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July 28, 2026
MEDIA STATEMENT FROM AMA (NSW) PRESIDENT DR FRED BETROS
Today’s announcement of an additional 18 beds at Westmead Hospital is a step in the right direction but it will not resolve the area’s growing health crisis.
In the latest Bureau of Health Information performance report, fewer than half of all emergency department patients started their treatment on time at Westmead and spent a median time of six and a half hours in the ED, the worst result in the region. At Nepean, waiting times blew out and the elective surgery list ballooned past 4,000 patients.
The announcement also included funding for extra nurses, allied health staff and additional beds, but only one new doctor. You cannot open new wards and specialty beds without the medical workforce to staff them safely.
There is also no mention of support for preventative health, general practice or specialist outpatient clinics – the services needed to keep patients out of hospital.
As a surgeon working in western Sydney, I see the human cost every day: patients deteriorating while they wait for healthcare.
We need real reform and a long term vision.
Media: P: 0419 402 955 E: media@amansw.com.au