Peak doctors’ body, the Australian Medical Association, on Friday published the 2025 edition of its public hospital report card. 55 per cent of ED visits nationwide were completed within the benchmark target of four hours in 2023-24. It marks the eighth consecutive year that performance in the metric has fallen. One-third of all ED patients triaged as \”emergency\” were not seen by a doctor within the recommended 10-minute time frame in 20 23-24, up from 25 per cent in 2018-19. The AMA is calling on all of the nation’s politicians and political parties to prioritize the health system, including hospitals. The 2025 report was published ahead of Australia’s general election, which must be held by May 17. The report said that the overall number of public hospital beds in Australia has increased, but the number of available beds per 1,000 people aged 65 and over remained at a record-low of 14.3, Xinhua news agency reported. The number of ED presentations completed within four hours is considered completed if a patient is discharged or departs the department within 4 hours of their arrival.
