PATIENTS waited about 10 hours in September to be admitted to Bundaberg Hospital after fronting up to the facility's emergency department.

According to figures just released on Queensland Health's website, category 2 patients – those with conditions considered an emergency but who do not need resuscitation – waited, on average, 10 hours and 17 minutes to be admitted to hospital.

The wait for category 3 patients, people whose condition is considered “urgent”, did not fare much better, with the wait stretching to nine hours and 20 minutes.

The wait for admission has slowly been stretching since July this year, when category 2 patients were waiting seven-and-a-half hours.

When compared to September last year, the wait to be admitted has stretched out an extra hour for category 2 patients.

Wide Bay Health Service District CEO Ken Whelan said a wait in emergency did not mean the patient was not being treated.

“Often doctors are awaiting test results, such as blood tests or X-rays, before determining if a patient should be admitted to hospital as an inpatient,” he said.

Mr Whelan said the average wait time to see a doctor in the emergency department in September was 39 minutes.

Bundaberg MP Jack Dempsey said the increasing waiting time for admission showed the hospital needed more resources.

“The state government really needs to step up to the mark and give the hard-working staff the resources they need,” he said.