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With just a handful of working days until the end of the year, time is running out for the federal government to finalise a five-year public hospital funding agreement with the states before its deadline.
During negotiations, the states have blamed the feds for the additional strain of “bed blocks”, where patients are stuck in hospital because they can’t get an aged care bed. But what do hospital pressures mean for people walking through the door?
In the latest instalment of our Hospitals in Crisis series, Anam Bilgrami from Macquarie University shows how hospital performance has dropped over the past decade, with fewer people seen on time in emergency departments and longer waits for elective surgery.
But not all states and hospitals are equal. See how your local hospital performs on hospital waiting times by plugging in your postcode to our hospital tracker tool.
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Fron Jackson-Webb
Deputy Editor and Senior Health Editor
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Anam Bilgrami, Macquarie University
A decade ago, 74% of patients presenting to emergency patients were seen within the recommended time. Now it’s 67%. And the decline is similar for elective surgery.
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Best reads this week
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Greg Barton, Deakin University
While Australians are rightly angry and distressed, preventing an act of extreme violence is more complicated than it seems.
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Milad Haghani, The University of Melbourne
Ahmed al Ahmed’s actions almost certainly saved lives, but does bystander intervention go against official advice during mass violence events?
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Jacques Raubenheimer, University of Sydney
Google Trends results for attackers’ names from before an attack are increasingly (and incorrectly) being used as evidence of conspiracies.
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Christopher Tounsel, University of Washington
Since fighting broke out in April 2023, some 150,000 people have been killed in Sudan and an estimated 13.5 million displaced.
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Kate Cantrell, University of Southern Queensland; Alison Bedford, University of Southern Queensland
For five decades, the image was attributed to Associate Press photographer Nick Út. But a documentary recently released on Netflix is challenging this.
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Sarah Bourke, The University of Western Australia; Bradley J. Moggridge, University of Technology Sydney; Clint Hansen, Monash University; Margaret Shanafield, Flinders University
For too long, Indigenous perspectives have not been heard in groundwater science. We must work together to protect Australia’s precious groundwater.
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TC Weekly podcast
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The treasurer says the government needs to do more on several fronts: from fighting antisemitism after Sunday’s deadly attack, to cracking down on illegal tobacco.
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation
Listen to Pablo Uchoa, an expert in Venezuelan military scenario planning, on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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Our most-read article this week
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Arvid O. I. Hoffmann, University of Adelaide; David Matthews, University of Adelaide; Sally Rao Hill, University of Adelaide; Ying Zou, University of Adelaide
Our research found many customers feel pressured, anxious or pushed into making a donation.
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In case you missed this week's big stories
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
In an extraordinary personal censure, Australia’s Jewish community effectively denied Anthony Albanese the role of being the nation’s chief public mourner in this week of national tragedy.
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Matteo Vergani, Deakin University
Following the Bondi terror attack, many are pointing to Jillian Segal’s plan for solutions. But it doesn’t distinguish criticism of Israel from antisemitism.
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Sanjoy Paul, University of Technology Sydney; George Tian, University of Technology Sydney
The ban marks a departure from Australia’s traditional approach of preserving competitive processes rather than regulating prices directly.
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Yao-Tai Li, UNSW Sydney
In the years since the 2020 introduction Hong Kong’s National Security Law, press freedom has slowly been limited. Lai’s conviction symbolises its end.
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Henry Maher, University of Sydney
The stagflation crisis of the 1970s stands as a clear warning of what might happen if the Fed’s independence is compromised.
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Ian Kemish, The University of Queensland; Jasmina Joldić, Griffith University
The Dayton Accords were not perfect. But they stopped the Bosnian war, enabled accountability for atrocities, and offered millions the chance to rebuild their lives.
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Tony Wood, Grattan Institute
If Australia hits 82% renewables by the end of the decade, wholesale power should be a third cheaper.
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Stephen Bartos, University of Canberra; John Hawkins, University of Canberra
The drivers of the improvement are largely outside the government’s control. Meanwhile, total debt is projected to exceed $1 trillion for the first time by mid-2027.
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Adam Daniel, Western Sydney University
Rob Reiner, the celebrated Hollywood director whose diverse filmography was loved by a broad array of audiences, has died at 78.
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Anthony Dat, Monash University
Kidney stones are painful and surprisingly common this time of year. Here’s why and how to prevent them ruining your Christmas.
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