Elective surgeries put on hold at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Prince Charles Hospital amid spike in flu cases
Category two and three surgeries for 185 patients will be postponed at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Prince Charles Hospital, Redcliffe Hospital, and Caboolture Hospital.
Urgent category one surgeries will still go ahead.
Health minister Tim Nicholls said the Metro North Hospital and Health Service had been raised to tier three status with resources needing to be diverted to emergency departments.
He said more than 250 people were hospitalised across the state last week with influenza.
Almost 3,600 Queenslanders have been hospitalised with flu so far this year, a number Mr Nicholls described as "startling".
"My understanding is that 90 per cent of those people who are ending up in hospital at the moment [with flu] are not vaccinated," he said.
Mr Nicholls said the health service was confident a 48 hour pause would be sufficient to ease pressure on the system.
"That will depend on presentations to our hospitals over the next 48 hours," he said.
Australian Medical Association Queensland director Paul Griffin urged Queenslanders to get their free flu shots to ease pressure on the system.
He said 16 per cent more people had been hospitalised with the flu compared to last year.
"AMA Queensland is urging Queenslanders to get their flu shot and get it as quickly as you can," he said.
Mr Nicholls said people should still go to hospital in the case of an emergency.
"if you are ill and you feel you need to go to hospital, go to an emergency department. You will be looked after, you will get care, you will get treatment," he said.
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