The number of patients stranded in Hunter hospitals while awaiting Commonwealth aged care and NDIS placements has risen sharply over the past year, new figures show.
There are currently 174 stranded patients across the Hunter New England Local Health District, up from 138 at 30 June 2025, an increase of 26 per cent. Across NSW, the number of stranded patients climbed from 1,065 to 1,355 over the same period, a rise of 27.2 per cent.
The 174 patients in the Hunter are spread across four hospitals: 19 at Calvary Mater Newcastle, 26 at John Hunter Hospital, 20 at Maitland Hospital and 19 at Manning Base Hospital. The NSW Government says it is working with the Commonwealth to expand services helping older people remain well and safely at home, including expanding Aged Care Outreach Services for short-term multidisciplinary home care, and rolling out Virtual Specialist Geriatric Care for people aged 65 and over. The government also points to its Aged Care Response Package, which includes 35.7 million dollars aimed at easing discharge delays for older people.
Despite the rise in stranded patients, hospital performance in other areas has improved. Across Hunter New England, the proportion of triage category 2 patients (those with life-threatening conditions) treated on time rose to 64.4 per cent in the April to June 2026 quarter, up from 56.2 per cent in the same quarter last year. The overall proportion of patients treated on time across the district also improved, from 64.8 per cent to 68.5 per cent.
Minister for Health Ryan Park says people of the Hunter deserve better.
“The number of people waiting for Commonwealth aged care and NDIS placements stranded in NSW hospitals is growing at an unprecedented and unsustainable level,” he said.
“In the Hunter, this means more than 170 beds in public hospitals cannot be used as a result.
“Waiting indefinitely in a hospital is not good for patient mobility, recovery or quality of life. These people are more than statistics, and they deserve so much better.”
