Queensland’s peak medical body has taken matters into its own hands to address a staggering backlog of patients waiting to access specialist care, a crisis often described as the state's "waiting list to get on the waiting list."

While the state government has consistently highlighted reductions in the formal elective surgery waitlist—which hovered just above 60,000 patients as of May—the Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) has pointed to a much larger, quieter crisis. According to the AMAQ, the number of Queenslanders waiting just to secure an initial specialist appointment has skyrocketed to more than 362,000, representing a 15 percent surge compared to last year.

A Medical Intervention

In response to the growing crisis, the AMAQ has established a dedicated six-member working group of senior doctors from various specialties across the state. The taskforce will be chaired by regional general practitioner and former AMAQ president Dr. Nick Yim, with a mandate to develop practical, systemic reforms.

AMAQ President Associate Professor Erica Gannon emphasized that the current situation is untenable for patients left in limbo. "We know patients are spending months and sometimes years waiting just to find out what care they need," Dr. Gannon said. "This working group is our contribution to finding sensible solutions that will support more patients being seen."

Regional Queensland Hit Hardest

The strain is being felt most acutely outside the metropolitan southeast. Dr. Yim highlighted the severe pressure faced by regional healthcare facilities, pointing to his home region of Wide Bay as symptomatic of a broader statewide issue.

In Bundaberg and Hervey Bay, more than 14,000 patients were waiting to see a specialist in May, with nearly 60 percent of the most urgent, Category 1 patients not seen within clinically recommended timeframes.

"Sadly, across Queensland, it isn't much better," Dr. Yim said. "We have 25,539 Cairns patients waiting for an initial appointment, with over 45 percent of urgent patients facing delays. In Central Queensland, the waitlist has jumped almost 46 percent compared to last year, while the number of appointments actually delivered has fallen."

Political Clashes Over Health Responsibility

The revelation that doctors have felt compelled to step in has sparked fierce political debate. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie defended the government's efforts, insisting that progress is being made despite the immense pressure on the system.

"The government's doing everything we can to reduce the waiting lists, and we have seen some success in that regard," Mr. Bleijie said, adding that the administration has only been in office for a year and a half and is actively tackling these generational health issues.

However, Opposition health spokesperson Shannon Fentiman described the situation as an "embarrassing" failure of leadership. "It is unthinkable that doctors have looked at this extra 70,000 Queenslanders on the waitlist and concluded they must act because the government won't," Ms. Fentiman said. "These are the forgotten Queenslanders who may need life-saving surgery but cannot even get in the door to see a specialist."

The AMAQ’s outpatient working group is expected to spend the coming months analyzing systemic bottlenecks before delivering a comprehensive list of recommendations to the state government in early 2027.