Queensland ambulance ramping rates improve slightly but remain well below Crisafulli’s election promise
The number of Queenslanders waiting in hospital ambulances for urgent care has risen slightly, but emergency department performance remains significantly below the Crisafulli government’s election pledge as pressure grows to reduce the rises, a new auditor’s report has found.
An analysis of public hospital performance found that fewer than 50 percent of the state’s emergency departments were treating patients within recommended time frames.
The latest report by the auditor general showed demand for emergency services statewide has increased by 4.5 per cent in the past five years, with the biggest increases in demand occurring on the Sunshine Coast and West Moreton.
While the number of emergency admissions remained stable last financial year, less than 50 per cent of patients were treated in less than four hours; this was two percentage points worse than the previous year and significantly below the overall target of 80 percent.
The knock-on effect of this showed up in ambulance performance rates, with 41 per cent of patients at the state’s top 26 public hospitals receiving treatment for longer than the recommended time.
“Overall the number of ambulances improved by 3 percentage points compared to last year,” according to the Queensland Audit Office.
“However, the increase remains an ongoing challenge in some areas as demand for emergency services continues to increase.”
Improving ED performance was a key pillar of the Liberal-National government’s election victory in 2024; the government had promised to reduce this rate to below 30 percent by the next survey in 2028.
Although there was an overall improvement compared to the previous year, hospitals in Brisbane, West Moreton and the Gold Coast showed the largest ambulance increase rates during the reporting period.
The increase is linked to the number of patients admitted to hospitals, the availability of beds to transfer patients from emergency departments, and the inability to discharge patients from hospitals.
The increased pressure on emergency departments was also reflected in the average length of stay for patients increasing by 4 per cent compared to the previous year; more people waited longer to receive specialist care.
Hospitals in Mackay and West Moreton showed the biggest increase in patients staying in hospital longer. This was partly driven by demand from older patients, many of whom were clinically ready for discharge but could not be transferred to suitable accommodation such as an aged care facility.
Figures from the end of last year show nearly 1300 elderly or disabled patients were stranded in Queensland hospitals waiting for accommodation; This is an issue on which the Crisafulli government has repeatedly lobbied the federal government.
As of July 1, approximately 117,000 patients were waiting for outpatient specialist care; This represented a 15 percent increase compared to the previous year.
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