Queensland health minister Yvette D'Ath has addressed mounting pressure on the state's health system as some claim ambulances are forced to bypass at-capacity hospitals, leaving patients waiting up to hours for care.
Some Queenslanders have told 9News their loved ones were left waiting up to seven hours for an ambulance.
Paramedics have also spoken of their frustrations with the overloaded system, saying more needs to be done to get patients out of ambulance ramping queues and into hospital beds.
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"They're fed up (paramedics)," United Workers Union national ambulance coordinator Fiona Scanlon said.
"It's actually quite distressing for them as well.
"The health system has had significant issues since before COVID.
"Right now they need to find better ways to move patients through their hospital system."
Opposition leader David Crisafulli said Queensland had "reached a grave new chapter" claiming ambulances have been forced to by-pass the closest hospital due to overloaded emergency departments.
"Ambulance bypass is back in Queensland," he said.
"A process that we thought was behind us in Queensland is happening again."
Shadow minister for health Ros Bates said ambulance bypass had a "snowball effect" for other hospitals and health departments.
"Patients are going to die waiting for an ambulance to turn up, patients could well die while they're being redirected from hospital to hospital and patients will die on the ramp," she said.
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D'Ath said while the pressures and issues facing the health system are not new, they are exacerbated by the rise in COVID-19 patients, isolating health professionals and now, the threat of an influenza wave.
She said health care demand was rising year by year and an overhaul of the public health system would not happen "overnight," calling on the federal government to match state health funding to increase hospital capacity.
"Our hospitals are full," she said.
"We cannot do this alone. The fact is that we need investment in Commonwealth health funding, funding in aged care NDIS, private health insurance, and we need more support for GPs.
"This is not about shifting responsibility its about sharing responsibility."
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She said there were currently 520 "long stay" patients in Queensland Hospitals who should be receiving care from an aged care package or the NDIS.
There are an additional 462 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals across the state.
The incoming flu season is also set to increase pressure on hospitals over the Winter period, with several already hospitalised with the dominant flu strain, influenza A.
D'Ath said a lack of GP's was also contributing to demand on the hospital system, with patients turning to hospitals when doctors appointments aren't available.
She added Medicare rebates had been frozen for medical professionals for over a decade, with less people choosing to pursue careers in general practice.
"The pressures on our public system are just as much from the primary and allied health care failings," D'Ath said.
"These demand pressures have caused the public health system in Queensland to become the provider of last resort."
D'Ath said the state had poured a record amount of funding into health care last year but real change was dependent on the Commonwealth.
She said despite the addition of 351 new hospital beds and $63 million in funding, demand for hospitals was increasing.
