The latest State of Emergency report shows that only 54% of older patients were given an inpatient bed within eight hours in 2023–24, down from 75% in 2018–19, according to data compiled by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM).

In the same year, presentations by older people at emergency departments rose 16% compared with five years earlier, while younger patients saw a modest 4% increase, the ACEM report notes.

The report also highlights a sharp rise in prolonged stays: the number of older patients waiting more than 24 hours in emergency departments jumped from 15,084 to 53,510, a 3.5‑fold increase.

Australian Bureau of Statistics modelling predicts a 411% surge in people aged 85 and over presenting to emergency departments between 2010 and 2050, underscoring the scale of future demand.

ACEM president Peter Allely warned that pressures on the aged‑care system are spilling into emergency departments and that the health system is not equipped for this demographic change.

These trends mean hospitals are struggling to move older patients from the emergency room to appropriate care, leading to longer waits, crowded corridors and a higher risk that urgent treatment arrives too late.