Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) has reduced ambulance ramping at its three major hospitals and whittled its elective surgery waitlist back to a 10-
year low.
The latest Queensland Health data shows patients in the Wide Bay region are getting the health care they need sooner.
Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Debbie Carroll said the improvements in ramping and planned care were testament to the dedication and skill of the region’s health workers.
“Day in, day out, our staff work tirelessly to ensure people in the Wide Bay region get the care they need, when they need it,” Ms Carroll said.
“We’re lucky to have such a skilled and passionate workforce and they are a key reason for the improvements we’re seeing in the latest health data.”
In June, ambulance ramping in Bundaberg fell to 34.2 per cent, down from 34.7 per cent in June 2025.
Ramping at Hervey Bay Hospital was just 22.9 per cent, a decrease of 8.8 percentage points compared to June last year.
At Maryborough Hospital, ramping decreased by 1.6 percentage points compared with June 2025, to just 16.2 per cent.
The data also shows 997 patients were on Wide Bay HHS’s elective surgery waitlist, 358 fewer than the previous June and is the lowest waitlist since June 2016.
Ms Carroll said investments in initiatives including enhanced after-hours service provision and theatre optimisation were also instrumental in getting patients in and out of emergency departments and operating theatres quicker.
“These initiatives are yielding positive results, as the data shows,” Ms Carroll said.
“They’re helping to free up beds, improve patient flow, ease pressure on our hospitals and enable our frontline to do what they do best – provide world-class care.”
