Latest news with #BlacktownHospital
Sky News AU
7 days ago
- Sky News AU
Three men including teen arrested, loaded revolver seized over alleged planned public place shooting in Sydney's west
Three men have been arrested and a loaded revolver seized after a police operation uncovered an alleged plot for a public place shooting to be carried out in Sydney's west. NSW Police said the men including a teenager have been arrested in relation to the alleged organisation of vehicles to be used in the shooting. The chaotic scenes unfolded overnight when police conducted a high-risk vehicle stop of a black Kia Serato at the intersection of the M4 and Prospect Highway in Blacktown at about 12.05am on Wednesday. During the intercept police reportedly fired bean bag rounds into the vehicle to bring it to a halt. Then, a 22-year-old driver and the 17-year-old passenger – both males – were arrested. The 22-year-old was allegedly bitten by a police dog and treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance before being taken to Blacktown Hospital for treatment. There, he remains under police guard. The teenager was also taken to Blacktown Police Station where inquiries are continuing. Around the same time of the first arrest, police stopped a VW T-cross travelling along Carlton Street, Granville. The driver and sole occupant of the vehcile, a 36-year-old man, was arrested without incident. He was taken to Granville Police Station where inquiries are also continuing. A search warrant was later executed at a home on Roebuck Avenue, Willmont, where police allegedly seized a loaded Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver. Investigations are continuing.
ABC News
7 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Blacktown and Liverpool hospitals rank lower than average in BHI survey
Two overstretched Sydney hospitals have consistently ranked "significantly lower" than average in a survey of patient satisfaction, according to new data released by the Bureau of Health Information (BHI). Just over half of patients treated at Blacktown or Liverpool hospitals rated their overall care as "very good," compared to the 67 per cent statewide average of NSW public hospital patients. Though fewer than six out of 10 patients at Blacktown and Liverpool hospitals reported that their care was "very well-organised" or "very clean". Blacktown Hospital also scored poorly on patients' perceptions of how well health professionals gave them support with their worries or fears, while Liverpool Hospital ranked significantly lower on whether patients felt they were given enough information on how to manage their care at home. Last month, images from Blacktown Hospital sparked fresh outrage over the state of NSW Health's system, including photos of a 70-year-old man sleeping on the floor while waiting for a blood transfusion. Liverpool Hospital also has one of the state's busiest emergency departments, but this year the NSW government said it had success in significantly reducing emergency room wait times. The local health districts that manage Blacktown and Liverpool hospitals were contacted for comment. Acting chief executive of the BHI, Hilary Rowell, said despite its poor performance in the patient survey, Liverpool Hospital had lifted its game on some indicators since the last survey. "When you do scrutinise the results, there are a number of hospitals where patients told us there is room for improvement," she said. "But at Liverpool we saw a number of improvements in ratings too, and that was around health professionals working as a team and the way in which patients were involved in decisions about their discharge." Overall, the survey shows NSW public hospital patients are generally satisfied with their care — with more than nine out of 10 public hospital patients in the state rating it as "good or very good". "There were some highlights: More than seven in 10 patients said health professionals always listened carefully to their cares and concerns and that was one of the larger improvements with the 2023 survey," Ms Rowell said. Regional hospital patients were more likely to give higher rankings to their care in the survey, which was completed by more than 25,000 patients in 2024. But one of the biggest drops has been in patient satisfaction since the last survey was conducted related to hospital food — with only 21 per cent of patients saying their meals in hospital had been "very good", down from 24 per cent in 2023.
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
NSW Premier Chris Minns decries ‘enormous challenge' at Sydney hospital after 70yo sleeps on floor
NSW Premier Chris Minns has admitted the state's healthcare system 'needs to do better' after a 70-year-old man was photographed lying on the floor of a western Sydney hospital. The photo, posted to Facebook by the man's daughter Hayley Leatham, shows 70-year-old Raymond lying down behind a row of chairs at Blacktown Hospital with a bag under his head. 'This is the sad reality of our public health system and emergency waiting times and lack of beds,' Ms Leatham said. 'My dad is (a) 70-year-old man on the floor waiting for blood transfusions with extremely life-threatening low level haemoglobin levels. 'I have the most respect for our nurses and doctors, but this is truly heartbreaking to see.' Ms Leatham told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Tuesday morning that her father had been forced to wait more than 24 hours at the busy western Sydney hospital after experiencing severe diarrhoea. 'There were red flags because the 70-year-old has a history of diabetes and hypertension,' Fordham said. 'Despite his condition, Raymond went without a hospital bed for a period of 24 hours. 'He was in so much pain he had to lay on the emergency department floor.' Speaking later to Fordham, Mr Minns admitted the images were 'obviously distressing', noting stress to the family, but lay much of the blame at the former Coalition government. He accused the former Liberal-Nationals state government of underinvesting in western Sydney hospitals. 'When you go to an emergency department to get the best kind of health care possible, you don't want to be in a situation where you have to wait that amount of time,' Mr Minns said. 'The situation today is not where we need it to be, and we need to do better with the massive investment that we're putting into health.' Mr Minns admitted the state government did not 'deserve a gold star'. 'I recognise that we've got an enormous challenge in front of us, and I'm certainly not looking for a lap of honour,' he said. 'But, what I am saying to you is, it would be ruinous for the public health system in NSW to go back to the old model of privatisation, a wages cap, and an underinvestment in western Sydney.' Mr Minns said the number of patients being treated during clinically recommended times at Blacktown Hospital had increased from 30 to 40 per cent under the Labor state government. He also spruiked promises to install 60 new beds at Blacktown and Mt Druitt hospitals as well as funding for the much-delayed Rouse Hill and renovated Bankstown hospitals. Those pledges did little to temper criticism from opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane, who told Fordham it was 'pretty shocking' to see the images out of Blacktown. 'This should not be happening in our hospitals,' she said. 'Patients at Blacktown sleeping on the floor because there simply aren't enough beds. 'I'm terribly sad for this gentleman and his family, decent people paying tax their entire lives, and when they're at the most vulnerable and sick, our system has let them down.' The Vaucluse MP said the situation was not a reflection on the staff and doctors at Blacktown Hospital, who she claimed had been 'ringing alarm bells' about long hospital delays. 'We need solutions at Blacktown,' she said. 'It is one of the poorest performing hospitals in the west of Sydney. 'It ranks 20th out of the 20 hospitals of its category in terms of dealing with people coming into the emergency department. 'We have to do something.'
