More than 300,000 Queenslanders are on a waiting list to see a medical specialist, a more than five percent increase over 12 months.
The December quarter health data shows 308,599 Queenslanders were waiting to visit specialists, up from 291,507 at the same time last year.
State Health and Ambulance Services Minister Tim Nicholls said the data showed both elective surgery waitlists and specialist waitlists continued to grow.
Minister Nicholls said more than 37,000 patients received elective surgery from October to December, with 66,632 Queenslanders remaining on the elective surgery waitlist.
He said their were signs of the beginnings of a recovery in hospital performance in some areas, with statewide ambulance ramping at 39.1 percent, down from 42.9 percent in December 2023 quarter and emergency department median wait times dropping from 15 minutes to 14 minutes.
“It will take time to deliver change, but this work is well underway and we’re committed to reducing ambulance ramping and stabilising wait lists.”
Minister Nicholls said the Government would restore the release of monthly ramping data, to improve transparency.
He said the goal was to reduce ambulance ramping to 30 percent over the next four years.
