Why Patient Flow Breaks, and How We Can Fix It: Insights from Queensland’s Health System

A whole-of-system problem, not an ED problem

A University of Queensland study gathered perspectives from emergency clinicians, paramedics, aged-care leaders, GPs, and consumers across the state. Participants agreed that flow breaks well before a patient reaches the emergency department and continues after discharge. Primary care access, ambulance availability, inpatient capacity, aged-care placement, and community supports all influence whether patients move smoothly through the system. The full qualitative findings are available in the published article here.

Three pressure points holding flow back

1. Population pressures. Limited access to timely primary care, barriers for vulnerable groups, and gaps in community services are pushing more people into hospital pathways. Workforce shortages compound these pressures and reduce continuity of care.
2. Capacity constraints. Ageing infrastructure, too few staffed beds, limited transport options, and sustained demand growth make it difficult to flex capacity. Even where physical beds exist, staffing limitations mean they cannot always be opened safely.
3. Process bottlenecks. Legacy models of care and fragmented coordination slow patient movement. Late rounds and late-day discharges ripple into access block, while inconsistent use of data, limited information sharing, and activity-based funding complexity add friction.

What frontline clinicians want to change

• Invest in people. More experienced clinicians at key decision points, empowered nurse navigators, broader paramedic scopes, and visible executive sponsorship to maintain momentum.
• Strengthen infrastructure and pathways. Not just more beds, but transit hubs, better resource distribution, and integrated community services that align aged care, primary care, and hospital teams around the patient journey.
• Modernise operations. Earlier discharge planning, seven-day service models, real-time data sharing, consistent care pathways, and digital tools that make coordination easier.

Why this matters for Geode

The message is clear: improving patient flow is a whole-of-system reset, not a quick front-door fix. Effective solutions must span the entire pathway—home to ED to ward and back into the community—so that every handover supports the next step. Geode works with health services to translate evidence like this into practical models of care, implementation plans, and technology-enabled pathways that keep patients moving and clinicians supported.