A peak doctors' body is urging the Queensland government to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all health workers, not just state employees, to reduce pressure on hospitals when the borders reopen.
An Australian Medical Association roundtable has been considering ways to stem capacity pressure as border restrictions are eased over the next two months.
Its Queensland branch is concerned there's been marginal improvements in capacity and patient waiting times, even though there's no large virus outbreak in the state, over the past year.
Almost one in three patients have to wait more than 30 minutes to be seen in emergency departments, while just under in three patient visits to EDs in the state are completed within four hours, the AMA's 2021 hospital report card shows.
Elective surgery patients who have been admitted within the recommended timeframe has also fallen to 88 per cent from 92 per cent.
AMA Queensland president Chris Perry says hospitals are overwhelmed without an outbreak and border travel restrictions will ease no matter what on December 17.
"When our borders open on 17 December, and we get inevitable outbreaks of COVID-19, we are going to see more pressure on our emergency departments," Dr Perry said in a statement.
"Most intensive care patients who need ventilating are there for a couple of days. Most COVID patients on ventilation are there for at least a couple of weeks."
He warned that there will be capacity pressures hospitals will need to treat both unvaccinated COVID-19 patients along with fully vaccinated people such as those injured in car accidents or assaults.
Virus patients may require ventilation and intensive care for a month, he said, which could limit access for regular ED patients who need ICU treatment.
"Medical professionals will always give care to patients, no matter their circumstances," Dr Perry said.
"All we ask is that the community considers how they can best take care of themselves and each other."
The AMAQ roundtable is set to hand a recommendation to the state government which it believes will help ease the burden of hospitals in coming months.
Dr Maria Boulton said the state government should mandate vaccination for all health workers, not just those who are employed by Queensland Health.
"GPs and other specialists in private practice need to ensure that their staff are fully vaccinated," she said.
The roundtable will also urge the government to increasing staffing levels to manage beds in wards to help improve the flow through EDs.
Queensland will scrap quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated domestic travellers who test negative when it hits 80 per cent, or by December 17 at the latest.
It will then scrap quarantine for international arrivals when 90 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated, which is expected to happen in early 2022.