More health data, more often
- The Crisafulli Government has announced it will restore the release of monthly ramping data, after the former Labor Government removed transparency around health data.
- It follows the recent launch of real-time health data with Open Hospitals.
- New quarterly data reveals more patients were seen more quickly in the December quarter, but major challenges remain in healing Labor's Health Crisis.
The Crisafulli Government has committed to releasing more health data, more often, with confirmation ambulance ramping data will revert to a monthly release.
It comes as December quarter health data was released today, revealing more Queenslanders needing emergency care have been seen faster and ambulance ramping has shown improvements on the same time last year.
The results also reveal elective surgery waitlists and specialist waitlists, which exploded under the former Labor Government, continue to grow after a decade of Labor's Health Crisis.
The December quarter data reveals:
- Statewide ambulance ramping is 39.1%, down from 42.9% in December 2023 quarter, with decreases at major hospitals including Caboolture, Prince Charles, the Princess Alexandra and Rockhampton.
- More than 37,000 patients received elective surgery from October to December, with 66,632 Queenslanders remaining on the elective surgery waitlist.
- 308,599 Queenslanders are waiting to visit specialists, up from 291,507 at the same time last year.
- Ambulance lost hours decrease from 15.3 minutes average to 10.5 minutes.
- Emergency Department median wait time dropped from 15 minutes to 14 minutes.
- The number of patients seen on-time improved to 76.3%, up 2.3%.
- 592,827 emergency presentations increased by 1.9%.
The results reveal the challenges left after a decade of Labor Government, but the Crisafulli Government is focused on delivering the fresh start Queensland needs.
The Crisafulli Government has committed to reducing ambulance ramping to 30% this term, after they reached a staggering 44.7% under the former Labor Government, as well as stabilising wait lists, which more than doubled under Labor's Health Crisis.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering a major boost to tackle elective surgery waitlists with a $100 million injection for Surgery Connect Surge initiative.
The Crisafulli Government has also announced it will restore the release of transparent health data, with monthly hospital performance data, a practice that was discontinued by the former Labor government.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the data demonstrated the beginnings of the recovery in hospital performance, from patients getting the care they needed to the speed at which ambulances were returning to the road.
"We promised Queenslanders a fresh start with an end to Labor's Health Crisis and we're already getting started on that, with real-time health data and a $100 million boost to deliver more elective surgeries," Minister Nicholls said.
"It will take time to deliver this change, but this work is well underway and we're committed to reducing ambulance ramping and stabilising wait lists.
"Under the Crisafulli Government, more Queenslanders are starting to access healthcare sooner and ambulances are returning to the road faster compared with the previous year, which are promising early signs of change.
"Under Labor's chaos and crisis, we saw ambulance ramping reach a staggering 44.7 per cent in the June quarter 2024, ambulance ramping is now below 40 per cent and is heading toward the target of 30 per cent by 2028.
"The Crisafulli Government's Easier Access to Health Services Plan will deliver resources to where they are needed most, to diagnose, treat and cure Labor's Health Crisis.
"Information transparency is a key commitment of the Crisafulli Government and this announcement adds to the release of real-time data and capacity levels for forensic medical examination kits within the first 100 days of government."
Access real-time data on the Open Hospitals website here: https://openhospitals.health.qld.gov.au/
