Media release

Real-time emergency department data long overdue

Queenslanders are getting a taste of how real-time data can improve their health system after the government launched its Open Hospitals portal yesterday.

The website updates every 15 minutes to show how many patients are waiting to be treated and the median wait time in 25 major emergency departments (EDs) across the state.

“This is a welcome first step in modernising our health system and something AMA Queensland has urged the government to do for years, including in our Ambulance Ramping Roundtable and Surgical Wait List Roundtable Action Plans,” AMA Queensland President Dr Nick Yim said.

“We cannot improve hospital performance without transparent and up-to-date information.

“Real-time data allows the public to see where delays are occurring so they can make informed decisions about when and where to seek treatment.

“It also has the potential to allow clinicians to better manage hospital resources, diverting them where they are needed most.

“The portal still has a long way to go if it is going to provide a full picture of the situation in our hospitals at any given moment in time.

“Clinicians on the floor need real-time bed availability data and it must be integrated with systems like inpatient services, outpatient appointments and aged care vacancies.

“We also need to see other key metrics like the number of patient presentations and discharges.

“The portal’s interface must be rigorously tested to make sure it does not inadvertently divert patients who need emergency care to satellite hospitals or other services that are not equipped for life-threatening conditions.

“It currently lists the statewide virtual emergency care service and nearby satellite hospitals when a search is run for any given suburb or specific ED.

“We look forward to working with the government to expand the metrics and other information available in the portal so it can truly help transform our health system for the future.”

Background

  • Queensland Health launched its new Open Hospitals website on 2 February 2025. The portal shows limited emergency department data, including median waiting times, number of patients waiting and number of permanent treatment spaces.
  • AMA Queensland’s Ambulance Ramping Roundtable Action Plan and Surgical Wait List Roundtable Action Plan called for real-time data and improvements in digital technology, including publication of a range of metrics and in a format that allows for comprehensive and ready interrogation and analysis.
  • Until now, Queensland Health performance data lagged by several months, limiting real-time analysis and transparency.