PATIENTS awaiting urgent care at choked hospitals would be redirected to those with spare capacity elsewhere in Sydney under a "brokering service" proposed to the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission.

Catholic Health Australia, representing the biggest grouping of non-government hospitals, says on most days there are scores of empty beds in suburban hospitals which could offer chemotherapy and other services to patients waiting for treatment in the big metropolitan hospitals.

The chief executive of Catholic Health, Martin Laverty, said there was keen interest in the proposal yesterday when he put it to the reform commission which is considering proposals to revamp the health system.

Mr Laverty said a centralised brokering service could keep tabs on free hospital beds across all NSW regional health areas.

Catholic Health, which represents 75 private and public hospitals in Australia, recently surveyed changing hospital capacities.

Mark Metherell