The shortage of beds at Wollongong Hospital's emergency department is taking its toll on paramedics, who say they are already overworked and understaffed.
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An Illawarra paramedic with more than 20 years' service, who did not want to be named, said the emergency department was in dire straits.
"It's the worst I've ever seen. There are always peaks and troughs but this is by far the worst it's been," he said.
"On Saturday night we had five ambulances there with officers staying up to six hours in the corridor.
"We don't have anywhere to put our patients. We have to stay with them on our bed, treat them, toilet them, feed them. We can't go out to any other jobs in the Illawarra."
The officer said paramedics sympathised with overworked hospital emergency staff and supported them 100 per cent.
"They are the ones in there doing the hard stuff; we can't do what they do, but the situation for them as well is out of control," he said.
And he pointed the finger at the NSW Ambulance Service for "failing to live up to its promise of more staff".
"The ambulance service is failing to provide extra staff to maintain the rosters. They have failed to give us an increase in staff levels since 1997.
"Staff are burning out and morale is at an all-time low. We need the ambulance service to come to the plate and increase our staffing levels."
Another paramedic contacted the Mercury after seeing the story of Berkeley woman Barbara Gorlick, who waited five hours on an ambulance trolley for treatment on her bleeding foot.
He said her case was the norm.
"We've got to make sure people get the accurate information. The lady who came forward, we thank her for her support. Her case is not an isolated one."
The NSW Ambulance Service said yesterday that staffing levels in the Illawarra "are currently five paramedics above funded establishment figures for the area".
"The Ambulance Service of NSW is always looking at ways to better meet the demands for ambulance services throughout the state ... [and is] currently changing paramedic rosters to better meet the needs of the communities of regional NSW," she said.
"The adjustment of these rosters will enhance ambulance services in the community when they need it most while also safeguarding the well-being of paramedics."
An Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District spokeswoman said Wollongong, was "experiencing high demand".
"The hospital has a dedicated winter bed strategy and peak-period escalation plan in place to minimise waiting times for both patients and ambulances," she said.
The hospital's executive team, emergency department management and front-line clinicians worked with ambulance service colleagues to minimise waiting times.
"The most seriously ill patients are always the priority and are triaged accordingly," she said.
