Changes are on the way in the Queensland health system, with a plan that would see private hospitals taking on surgeries that public sites do not have time for.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg says he wants changes that would guarantee a surgery time for all patients. The idea is based on a Danish approach, making private hospitals do the operations that the public system cannot.

Mr Springborg says it will bring peace of mind to patients by giving them a set date for their procedure, while also slashing wait times.

“If patients have to wait longer than the clinically recommended time for their surgery, once assessed they will be able to be treated in a private or not-for-profit hospital,” Mr Springborg said.

"And the hospital provider who should have been doing their treatment will be responsible for the cost of that surgery.

The plan has been received with scepticism from some in the state’s health sector, with Together Union secretary Alex Scott saying it may not work for people in regional areas.

“We think this is more spin rather than substance,” he said.

“Clearly with Surgery Connect there is already a system in place where overflow operations are occurring through the private system.

“We're gravely concerned about this Government's failure to continue to invest in a public system,” Mr Scott said.