Patients at emergency departments in major Western Sydney hospitals say they have been forced to wait up to 12 hours due to under staffing.
Mother-of-two Jo Tanginoa waited nine hours at Campbelltown Hospital last month only to be told she was fine and sent home with painkillers.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Waiting times at Western Sydney emergency departments blowing out.
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However, Tanginoa, a diabetic who had a fall, had actually broken multiple bones.
“They said you’ve got no breaks … we’re gonna give you some Endone and send you home,” she told 7NEWS.
“But I thought why am I having this much pain?
“This much pain isn’t normal.”
The 47-year-old said she felt her pain was later “validated” upon learning she had fractures, but feels traumatised by her experience.
“The system is broken … the system needs to be fixed,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sydney man Paul says his daughter waited 12 hours at Westmead Hospital with a suspected appendicitis.
During the horrific ordeal, the teen slept in the car while they waited to see a doctor.
“There were people collapsing on the floor, people having seizures and not enough room for people to sit,” he told 2GB.
“Sorry for being emotional … I haven’t slept in 26 hours.”
Graeme Loy from Western Sydney Health District cited staff shortages as a major contributor to the lengthy wait time.
“There were a couple of sick calls from some doctors on the evening shift the night before,” he said.
New data reveals wait times in Western Sydney’s emergency departments are at an all-time high, with 43 per cent of patients waiting more than four hours in emergency.
At Blacktown Hospital the average wait time is over five and a half hours.
NSW Premier Chris Minns described the conditions as “unacceptable”.
“We are investing in it and we expect a good turn around,” he told 7NEWS.
– With reporting by Annie Pullar
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