A growing public health conflict has erupted in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, after state premier Chris Minns drew sharp criticism from a leading medical leader over his controversial call for residents to avoid public hospital emergency departments unless facing life-threatening conditions. The premier’s appeal came in response to a historic winter surge in demand that saw almost 10,000 Sydney residents seek emergency care in a single day earlier this week – a figure that marks the highest daily emergency department attendance ever recorded in the region.