ABSTRACT Objective The study aimed to analyse trends in emergency department (ED) presentations in New South Wales (NSW) from 2015 to 2022, focusing on demographic and clinical factors influencing these trends and evaluating their impact on ED performance metrics. Methods This was a retrospective, longitudinal study using routinely collected data from all NSW public hospital EDs presentations between 2015 and 2022. Main Outcome Measures Key measures included the rate of ED presentations per 1000 population, emergency treatment performance (ETP), length of stay (LOS), and Did Not Wait (DNW) cases. Results The study identified that the rate of unique ED presentations increased by 0.51% per annum, in contrast to the higher rates reported in previous studies. The most notable increase was observed among individuals aged 60–80 and over 80 years. High‐acuity cases (Categories 1 and 2) increased from 12.0% in 2015 to 15.0% in 2022, while low‐acuity cases (Categories 4 and 5) decreased from 55.9% to 49.0%. ETP declined from 72.1% in 2015 to 56.4% in 2022, and DNW cases rose from 5.4% to 8.5%, indicating issues with patient flow and resource allocation. Conclusions This long‐term study of ED presentations highlighted the stable demand for ED services associated with a dramatic decrease in ETP and an increase in DNW cases suggesting a health system operating at critical levels of capacity. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, and our study may assist in providing a foundation for future research and policy development aimed at improving ED efficiency and patient outcomes.
Stefoulis et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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