NSW Premier shuts down calls for urgent inquiry into Western Sydney hospitals

The pressure on Western Sydney hospitals has reignited fierce political debate, with Premier Chris Minns rejecting calls for an inquiry into worsening conditions at Blacktown Hospital.

In Budget Estimates, Premier Chris Minns rejected calls for an inquiry, with NSW Health Minister Ryan Park arguing that another review was unnecessary. He pointed to the Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding, delivered in May by Justice Richard Beasley, which concluded that “the level of funding presently provided to NSW public hospitals is inadequate to deliver the service that the public of NSW expect…”

Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said families across Western Sydney deserve clear answers on why their hospitals consistently rank among the state’s worst.

“The Premier’s refusal to support an inquiry shows he’s more interested in political spin than fixing the health crisis in Western Sydney,” he said.

Shadow Health Minister Kellie Sloane condemned the decision as a betrayal of local families who have already shared harrowing stories of their experiences.

“The people of Western Sydney deserve answers. Instead of acknowledging the crisis and committing to action, the Premier is hiding behind excuses about the past. Families are sick and tired of excuses – they want solutions,” she stated.

In defence, Health Minister Ryan Park emphasised the Minns Government’s investment in workforce reform.

“Safe Staffing Levels is one of the most significant reforms in the way our hospitals have been staffed in decades. The Minns Labor Government is delivering the health investments our communities need and deserve after more than a decade of inaction from the former Liberal government.”

The government’s Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce has been charged with overseeing the rollout of 2,480 full-time equivalent positions over four years. Phase one, already underway, began in level five and six emergency departments treating the most critically ill patients, with progressive expansion to other areas.

Despite these commitments, the Opposition has doubled down, demanding an inquiry into health outcomes and hospital access across Western Sydney. Blacktown and Westmead Hospitals, in particular, continue to record the state’s poorest results for timely treatment and patient satisfaction.

“No one should be forced to lie on the floor of an emergency department or sleep in their car waiting for treatment. That’s not a health system – that’s a disgrace,” Speakman said.

If established, the inquiry would examine operational performance, clinical safety, and quality of care at Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Westmead, Cumberland, and Auburn Hospitals, facilities at the centre of growing community frustration over access and standards of care.

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