Emergencies stack up in Sydney hospital

Bed closures over the holiday period have reportedly led to a backlog of patients from the emergency department at a Sydney hospital.

Emergency patients have been forced to wait hours for a bed in western Sydney after a hospital closed beds for the holidays, it has been reported.

Fairfax Media reports paramedics expressed frustration after Blacktown Hospital "closed" 60 beds to accommodate staff leave.

The hospital has apologised to one 63-year-old woman who was kept waiting for up to 20 hours to be admitted on Monday because of the bed shortage, but declined to comment to Fairfax on the reported closures.

Western Sydney Local Health District chief executive Danny O'Connor told Fairfax the hospital had experienced a higher-than-expected number of patients over the Christmas and New Year period.