Hospitals deliver despite unprecedented demand

• Queensland hospital EDs saw a record number of patients in the March quarter – with over 600,000 patients – caused by a perfect storm of external factors.
• The Miles Government’s investments in health are working, with a record number of elective surgeries performed and more ED patients seen in the recommended time.
• New satellite hospitals are also making a difference, reducing ED visits to by 12 per cent compared with the same time last year.
• Queensland Ambulance Service saw a 7.9 per cent rise in 000 calls.
• As part of the Miles Government’s commitment to transparency, new points of data have been released for the first time, including average lost time per ambulance and referral numbers for elective surgery and specialist outpatient appointments.

The Miles Government’s investments in hospitals are working, with more emergency department patients being seen on time than ever before despite record-breaking demand.

A total of 603,863 ED presentations occurred in the March quarter, representing a significant increase of almost 33,000 more patients compared to the same period last year.  

The surge included an almost 11 per cent rise in the number of Category 1 and 2 presentations (the most critical), compared to the same period last year.

Despite this significant rise in demand, EDs treated 100 per cent of Category 1 patients within the recommended two-minute timeframe. Queensland ranks second nationally behind only New South Wales for overall ED wait times.

A record-breaking 36,814 elective surgeries were delivered in the quarter, with almost eight in ten patients treated in the recommended timeframe.

Long waits for elective surgery have dropped by an enormous 38 per cent compared to the same time last year – meaning there are almost 3,000 fewer patients waiting longer than recommended to receive their surgery.

The data follows the independent Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services earlier this year, which showed Queensland leads the nation on elective surgery.

New data also reveals that this financial year to March 2024, over 4,200 more patients were transferred from ambulances to EDs within 30 minutes compared to the previous period (July 2022-March 2023).

This improvement comes even as the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) experienced a surge in demand with 16,500 more critical Code 1 incidents than the prior March quarter.

The record-breaking demand can be attributed to a “perfect storm” of external factors in January and February, including COVID waves, extreme weather events, and double the number of usual influenza cases for this period.

The perfect storm meant the overall transfer rate for patients in the March 2024 quarter (54.5 per cent) dipped slightly compared to previous periods.

Performance improved significantly in March as Queensland emerged from its summer of cyclones and severe storms.

New data has also revealed Queensland performs better than three out of five comparable states when it comes to ramping. The analysis contradicts the LNP’s often-repeated mistruths about Queensland’s performance.

While the average lost minutes per ambulance remained steady year-over-year, internal improvements occurred within the March 2024 quarter (18.4 minutes in February to 15.3 minutes in March).

The new data also revealed:

• Over 23,000 more people have been seen within the recommended timeframe in Eds compared to the same time last year. 
• The QAS responded to 16,500 more Code 1 incidents (7.9 per cent increase)
• More than 30,000 people visited Satellite Hospitals in the first three months of 2024
• Satellite Hospitals delivered 14,000 outpatient appointments.
• Satellite Hospitals have resulted in a 12 per cent reduction in Category 4 and 5 ED presentations at nearby hospital EDs
• Elective surgery referrals continue to rise, with 800 more patients referred for surgery compared to the same time last year – a total of 48,000.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman:

“Our investments in hospital performance are working, with more people seen than ever before and seen sooner.

“Despite a surge in patients visiting hospitals, Queensland’s healthcare system continues to deliver world-class care – a testament to our dedicated healthcare workers who are going above and beyond for Queenslanders.

“Even though the March 2024 quarter was a record-breaker, we’re still treating more patients in Eds, performing more elective surgeries, and offering more care closer to home.

“Ambulance crews transferred 4,200 more patients from stretchers to hospitals within 30 minutes compared to the same time last financial year, even with a rise in life-threatening calls.”

"Our EDs have seen the highest number of patients ever, exceeding 603,000. Despite this surge, we've maintained wait times and treated more critical cases.

"We achieved a record number of elective surgeries (more than 36,000) for the March 2024 quarter.

“Remarkably, over 80 per cent of these patients received their surgery within the recommended timeframe. This increased capacity ensures more Queenslanders can get the surgery they need, ultimately leading to healthier lives.

"Our innovative Satellite Hospital program is making a real difference providing tailored care and reducing pressure on nearby EDs.

“The existing five locations have already seen a 12 per cent decrease in non-urgent cases at nearby EDs and treated over 30,000 patients in the March quarter.

ENDS