A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN ambulance ramping rate has been recorded at a south-east Queensland hospital.

Ambulance ramping at Redland Hospital reached an extraordinary 73% during the month of July, the highest on record.

The shocking figure means almost three out of every four patients are stuck on ambulance ramps for longer than the clinically recommended time.

The figures are alarming given Queensland already has the worst ambulance ramping in the country and hospital bypass is happening again for the first time in 10 years.

The statistic comes a day after the Opposition revealed the Palaszczuk Government removed 19 beds from the Metro South Health Service during the height of the pandemic.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the decision by the State Government to cut beds in the middle of the Health Crisis had real consequences for Queenslanders who need an ambulance in their hour of need.

“The Queensland Health Crisis has reached a dire new level in Queensland,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“To have a situation where three-quarters of patients who arrive at a hospital are ramped is simply unacceptable.

“It shouldn’t happen in a modern Queensland.

“Our hardworking health staff need more support now.

“The Premier and her Government must start listening to the solutions we’ve been putting on the table to heal the Queensland Health Crisis.”

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the Health Minister has serious questions to answer.

“Yvette D’Ath is losing control of Queensland’s hospitals,” Ms Bates said.

“The Palaszczuk Government cut beds from Metro South during the pandemic and now ambulance ramping has gone through the roof.

“The Palaszczuk Government told Queenslanders they were safeguarding our hospitals but really they were cutting beds and now it’s driven ambulance ramping even higher. It beggars belief.

“Queensland patients who are not getting the care they need no longer trust the Palaszczuk Government to fix the Queensland Health Crisis.

“The Palaszczuk Government has been in power for seven years and in that time ambulance ramping has gone from 15% to 46% across the state.

“The Premier must answer this question: when will ambulance ramping return to the 15% this government inherited in 2015?

“The Premier must listen and sack the Health Minister.”

Shadow Minister for Open Data Brent Mickelberg said it shouldn’t be up to the Opposition to release the data.

“Queenslanders deserve to see these health figures as soon as they’re available,” Mr Mickelberg said.

“The Opposition is committed to having a Minister for Open Data because it will drive accountability.

“After three terms in office, the State Government has given up on listening to Queenslanders.

“They don’t value openness and transparency.”