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Queensland Health data for August shows that 42% of patients arriving at hospitals by ambulance are waiting more than 30 minutes before being transferred into emergency departments, up from 38.7% in July. This figure is only slightly better than the pre-LNP government rate and far above the LNP's promise to reduce ramping to under 30%. The article highlights pressure on Health Minister Tim Nicholls as Premier Crisafulli tied his cabinet's future to reducing ambulance ramping by 2028. Opposition leader Steven Miles criticizes the current government for failing to address workforce shortages and delayed construction of new beds, predicting that ramping figures will worsen further.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Queensland Health data for August shows that 42% of patients arriving at hospitals across the state by ambulance are waiting more than 30 minutes, which is worse than in July and only slightly better than the figures from August 2024, before the LNP government came into power. The current numbers show an improvement over when the previous Miles Government was in charge but remain high. Despite this, a spokesperson for the Acting Health Minister claims that these are the lowest August figures in five years.
The data reveals that ambulance ramping at Queensland's 26 top public hospital emergency departments has barely improved over the past two years. For instance, Gold Coast University Hospital just met its target of under 30%, with a figure of 28.9% for August, compared to 48.2% in August 2024 when the Miles Government was still in power.
Opposition leader Steven Miles had predicted that ramping figures would continue to worsen, but the current government argues that these numbers represent progress despite ongoing challenges in healthcare infrastructure and service delivery.
Written for “Ambulance Wait Times Controversy” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning: leans left for article 67612 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-10-09
In short:
Queensland Health data for August shows 42 per cent of patients who arrive at hospitals across the state by ambulance are waiting more than 30 minutes.
asserted
who → show → ambulance
The figures are worse than in July, and only slightly better than in August 2024, before the LNP came into government.
asserted
LNP → come → government
A spokesperson for the Acting Health Minister says the recent data is the lowest August figure in five years.
asserted
data → say → years
Queues of long-wait ambulance patients outside many of Queensland's major hospital emergency departments have barely budged in the last two years.
asserted
Queues → budge → years
The latest Queensland Health performance data for August shows statewide ambulance ramping is sitting at 42 per cent across Queensland's 26 top public hospital emergency departments (ED).
asserted
ramping → show → departments
That means 42 per cent of patients who arrive at those hospitals by ambulance are waiting longer than 30 minutes to be transferred off a stretcher into an ED.
asserted
who → mean → ED
In July, ambulance ramping across the same hospitals stood at 38.7 per cent — 3.3 percentage points better than the August figures.
asserted
ramping → stand → figures
The numbers are only marginally better than the August before the Crisafulli Government came to power in 2024, when ramping stood at 43.9 per cent.
asserted
ramping → come → cent
Pressure to reduce ramping
The latest August data comes just ahead of the halfway mark in the Crisafulli Government's first four-year term and on the back of a late flu season.
asserted
data → reduce → season
It puts in serious doubt the Premier's commitment ahead of the 2024 election to get ambulance ramping down to under 30 per cent before the 2028 poll.
asserted
It → put → poll
The latest figures pile more pressure on Health Minister Tim Nicholls after Premier David Crisafulli tied his cabinet future to cutting ambulance ramping to below 30 per cent before the next election.
asserted
Crisafulli → pile → election
Opposition leader Steven Miles predicted ramping figures would continue to worsen.
asserted
figures → predict → ?
"You can't fix ramping while not delivering growth funding to our hospitals, not having a workforce plan, and not building the new beds that are needed," he said.
asserted
he → fix → beds
"The government still hasn't delivered a workforce plan to deliver the staffing those hospitals need and of course, they've delayed the build of new beds that would provide some relief to the bed block that is choking our emergency departments."
asserted
that → deliver → departments
August ramping figures show hospitals in the Metro South Health region are particularly struggling.
asserted
hospitals → show → region
Logan Hospital, south of Brisbane, recorded ramping levels at 61.8 per cent and at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, more than half of the patients arriving at the emergency department by ambulance were ramped for more than half an hour.
asserted
half → record → hour
Gold Coast University Hospital just snuck in under the 30 per cent target, recording 28.9 per cent — a huge improvement on when the Miles Government was in power when ramping was at 48.2 per cent in August 2024 — two months before the Queensland election.
asserted
ramping → sneak → election
Ambulance ramping at Ipswich Hospital, west of Brisbane, has also turned around in the past two years.
asserted
ramping → turn → years
In August 2024, a whopping 63.5 per cent of patients arriving by ambulance to the hospital, were ramped for more than the recommended benchmark of 30 minutes.
asserted
cent → arrive → minutes
That has been cut to 34.5 per cent on the back of the Mater Springfield Hospital opening in May.
uncertain
That → cut → May
A spokeswoman for acting Health and Ambulance Services Minister Dale Last said the 2026 August ramping data was the lowest August figures in five years.
asserted
data → act → years
This year’s data comes amid a record high 211,664 presentations to Queensland public hospital emergency departments in August.
asserted
data → come → August
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