newy.com.au – Nine extra short-stay treatment spaces will be added at Maitland and John Hunter hospitals in 2026-27 under a statewide program intended to ease pressure on emergency departments.
Maitland Hospital will receive four spaces, expanding its emergency department short-stay unit from eight to 12. Five will be added at John Hunter Hospital, taking its unit from eight to 13.
The Hunter projects are part of a $130.7 million NSW government investment in emergency department short-stay units. The government has not disclosed how much will be spent at each hospital or given a more precise timetable for the spaces to open.
Short-stay units provide further assessment, observation and treatment after a patient’s initial emergency department assessment. Patients are generally expected to stay for between four and 24 hours before returning home or moving to another care setting.
The units commonly treat patients with minor head injuries and infections, as well as people requiring brief treatment for conditions such as allergic reactions and renal colic. The additions are dedicated treatment spaces rather than conventional inpatient ward beds.
By transferring suitable patients into the units, the government says hospitals can reduce prolonged emergency department stays and make treatment areas available sooner for other patients.
Hunter Minister Yasmin Catley said the extra capacity would support the region’s growing population.
“These new spaces will help more patients receive timely care and, importantly, help improve emergency department wait times for people across the Hunter,” she said.
The statewide program will provide 22 additional spaces during 2026-27 across John Hunter, Maitland, Campbelltown, Nepean, St George and Wyong hospitals. Up to eight more are planned in 2027-28, although their locations have not been determined. Six spaces previously announced for Westmead Hospital are separate from that allocation.
The government estimates the expanded units will allow NSW public hospitals to care for an additional 22,000 patients each year, but it has not provided projections for individual hospitals. More than half a million admissions to emergency department short-stay units have been recorded across the state since January 2024.
