Queensland s hospital budget sheets are bleeding red, with the state s health services racking up an $82 million operating loss last year as they spent more than they had on patient care. But the state s health boss says it s the fault of the COVID pandemic for biting $70 million out of bottom lines. In an ongoing decline in financial sustainability , 11 of the state s 16 Hospital and Health Services (HHS) recorded losses in 2019-20, despite just one planning for a loss, a probe by the Auditor-General found. Brendan Worrell found the cost of delivering health services was now more than the funding received from governments.