Open Hospitals - About the data
This Open Hospitals website currently publishes real-time information for 25 Queensland Health hospital emergency departments (EDs) and 7 minor injury and illness clinics.
Data is collected at each point of a patient’s journey in these facilities, including:
- the time they ‘check-in’
- when they are assessed by a triage nurse
- when they are treated
- when they leave to return home or are admitted to a hospital ward to receive further care
The data from a patient’s steps through the ED or minor injury and illness clinic is then able to be collated, analysed and published to the Open Hospitals website. Data is currently refreshed every 15 to 30 minutes.
The real-time data metrics reported on the Open Hospitals website are calculated using the time of patient triage, and the time at which treatment is commenced.
Important: The information on this website, particularly wait times, is provided for use as a general guide only and should not be relied upon, especially in emergency or life-threatening situations. Queensland Health aims to provide information that is accurate and up-to-date but cannot, and does not, warrant that information is accurate or current or that any individual will be seen within a particular time frame. Individuals are treated in order of the seriousness of the health condition they present with on arrival at the facility.
If you or someone with you is having a medical emergency, call Triple Zero (000) immediately and ask for an ambulance.
Included facilities
Emergency departments
- Bundaberg Hospital
- Caboolture Hospital
- Cairns Hospital
- Gladstone Hospital
- Gold Coast University Hospital
- Gympie Hospital
- Hervey Bay Hospital
- Ipswich Hospital
- Logan Hospital
- Mackay Base Hospital
- Maryborough Hospital
- Mount Isa Hospital
- Nambour Hospital
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
- Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital
- Queensland Children's Hospital
- Redcliffe Hospital
- Redland Hospital
- Robina Hospital
- Rockhampton Hospital
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
- Sunshine Coast University Hospital
- The Prince Charles Hospital
- Toowoomba Hospital
- Townsville University Hospital
Minor injury and illness clinics
- Bribie Island Satellite Hospital (Yarun)
- Caboolture Satellite Hospital (Kabul)
- Eight Mile Plains Satellite Hospital (Maroo-goodji-ba)
- Kallangur Satellite Hospital (Kalangoor)
- Redland Satellite Hospital (Talwalpin Milbul)
- Ripley Satellite Hospital (Moodoombar Dabbil)
- Tugun Satellite Hospital (Banyahrmabah)
Definitions
Median waiting time
The median waiting time for treatment to commence following triage at a hospital ED or minor injury and illness clinic is defined as the time, in minutes, within which 50% of patients commenced treatment. The median waiting time is based on those patients commencing treatment in the last two hours.
This is a standard measure which is used to report the performance of Queensland’s public emergency departments. This was previously only reported every quarter via the Queensland Health Our Performance website.
Triage
When an individual arrives at an ED or minor injury and illness clinic for treatment, a qualified triage nurse assesses how urgent their condition is and assigns a category according to the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS). There are five triage categories (1 to 5), where 1 is most urgent and 5 is least urgent. The triage system ensures people most in need of care are treated first. Patients are seen in order of medical priority and not in order of arrival at the hospital.
Time at which treatment is commenced
The time at which treatment is commenced refers to the earliest time at which a treating clinician or specified health professional on duty provides ‘meaningful treatment’ to a patient, concluding the patients waiting time.
Meaningful treatment relates to the active management of a patient following the completion of the initial Triage process (e.g. when a patient is given pain medication to relieve their symptoms).
Treatment space
A treatment space is generally a location within an ED or minor injury and illness clinic where patients receive clinical care, treatment or monitoring. A treatment space may be a room, a trolley, or a chair. Each facility determines what a treatment space is based on their local setup and operations.
Measures
Number of patients currently waiting
The total number of patients who have been triaged and are waiting to commence treatment in an ED or minor injury and illness clinic.
Patients may be asked to return to the waiting room once their treatment has commenced to wait for the next step of their care. These patients are not included in the total ‘number of patients currently waiting.’
Refresh interval: ~15 minutes
Data source: Queensland Health emergency department clinical systems
Median waiting time – all patients
Within the last two hours, 50% of all patients who had been triaged (all triage categories) commenced treatment within this timeframe, and 50% of patients waited longer.
This measure is calculated on the time between triage and when a patient commences treatment. It is not indicative of the total time a patient may spend at the Emergency department or minor injury and illness clinic.
Refresh interval: ~15 minutes
Data source: Queensland Health emergency department clinical systems
Permanent treatment spaces
The total number of permanent treatment spaces in an ED or minor injury and illness clinic. Data is based on current counts and may be subject to change over time for a variety of reasons, including the availability of staff, admitted and non-admitted patient care requirements, and any other operational factors.
This measure captures the permanent capacity of the facility and does not indicate whether these spaces are currently in use or not in real-time.
Data source: Statewide Management Information System with validation from Queensland Health Hospital and Health Services (HHS)
Patients currently waiting compared to average
“Currently waiting” displays the number of patients who have been triaged and are waiting to commence treatment in an ED or minor injury and illness clinic, at the current hour.
Patients may be asked to return to the waiting room once their treatment has commenced, and whilst they are waiting for the next step of their care. These patients are not included in the total ‘number of patients currently waiting.’
“Average waiting” displays the number of patients who were triaged and were waiting to commence treatment in the same hour, on the same day of the week, in the same month, in the same facility, averaged over the past 2 years. For those facilities which have been open less than 12 months, an annual average has been applied.
The number of patients is determined using triage time and treatment commencement time.
Refresh interval: Hourly for current data. Annually for historical data.
Data source: Queensland Health emergency department clinical systems
Errors and Warnings
“Real time data is currently unavailable” alert
The Open Hospitals website pulls data from the clinical systems of each facility, processes it, and displays it on the website. While every effort is made to ensure data is retrieved in real time, delays may occur. If data has not been refreshed for more than 4 hours, the displayed metrics will appear as “unavailable” until normal service is fully restored.
Blank or “-“ values
Thresholds on all measures have been implemented during periods of low occupancy to prevent the identification of patients in waiting rooms, and to ensure results derived are statistically meaningful and reflective of the overall dataset. As a result, users may encounter data that is noted as “-“ where thresholds are not met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there more/less people physically in the Emergency department than stated on the website?
There could be several reasons why the number of people physically present in an emergency department or minor injury and illness clinic is different to data reported on the website:
- Some individuals in the waiting room may not be waiting for care. In some cases, patients in the waiting room could have commenced meaningful treatment (e.g. wound dressing, pain relief) or could be waiting to receive the results from a diagnostic test.
- During busy periods, temporary waiting areas or overflow sections may be used to accommodate higher volumes of patients.
- Some hospitals have a separate waiting room for patients who arrive by Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) on stretchers. These patients may not be visible to those in the general waiting room.
- Some patients may be moved from the waiting room to a treatment space but are still waiting for their treatment to commence.
- Some individuals in the waiting room may not be patients. Family members, friends or loved ones can accompany and offer support to patients who are seeking care.
Why have I been waiting longer than the median waiting time shown on the website?
The median waiting time displayed on the website is calculated based on the patients who presented and commenced treatment within the preceding 120 minutes.
Emergency departments and minor injury and illness clinics are fast-paced, dynamic environments where conditions can change rapidly. The number of incoming patients and the complexity and severity of their conditions can impact the order in which existing patients are seen, and the waiting time they experience.
Our goal is to provide the best possible care to each patient. While efforts are made to ensure all patients receive quality care within the clinically recommended time frame, patients with life-threatening conditions and/or critical needs are seen and treated with priority.
The website stated that the median wait time at my local facility was 50 minutes. Why did it take 3 hours from arrival at the facility to the time I was sent home?
The median wait time calculates the time between a patient being triaged to the time the patient commences treatment. It does not mean the total time a patient may spend at the Emergency department or minor injury and illness clinic.
Why isn’t my local facility listed?
This website only reports data for Queensland’s largest public emergency departments and minor injury and illness clinics. Location searches for other facilities, such as other public hospitals, urgent care clinics, private hospitals, GPs, pharmacies and other treatment centres can be accessed via the Health Direct website.