What is Surgiflow
Surgiflow is an 18 month pilot program to improve the experience of having planned or unplanned surgery in our hospitals. It looks at the whole surgical journey, from referral to care after patients go home.
Evidence shows that with the right care and support, people having surgery:
- get care sooner
- have fewer complications
- recover faster at home than in hospital.
These changes should reduce pressure on surgical services, hospital beds, emergency departments and our workforce.
The Queensland Government is funding the pilot through its Rapid Response Funding.
What we’re changing
We’re making changes to surgical services at 7 hospitals across Queensland:
- Townsville University Hospital
- Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
- QEII Hospital
- Logan Hospital
- Ipswich Hospital
- Gold Coast University Hospital.
Better preparation for surgery
We’re providing more support to help patients prepare for surgery, including multidisciplinary health care and virtual services.
Better coordination of unplanned surgery
New unplanned surgery coordinators will help people get the right care and provide better oversight of unplanned surgery.
Working together to support safe discharge
We’re bringing health professionals together and using proven practices to decide when and how patients can safely leave hospital after surgery.
More day surgery
We’re increasing the number of procedures we can safely do without an overnight stay.
More support after going home
We’re expanding the Post Operative Discharge Support Service so more surgical patients can get specialist care after leaving hospital.
Quick assessment before surgery
We’ll keep funding Surgical Rapid Assessment Units so we can quickly assess patients who need surgery and give them the right care.
How it benefits patients
Surgiflow aims to improve the surgical journey for patients by:
- providing earlier access to planned care
- supporting their health and fitness in the lead up to surgery
- reducing the time they spend in hospital after surgery
- improving communication with health professionals
- providing more ways to get support after going home.
How it supports health professionals
Surgiflow helps everyone involved in surgical care understand their role and work together. It provides clear processes and oversight to support consistent care across Queensland.
For health professionals, this may include:
- better communication and continuity of care between hospitals and GPs
- better patient outcomes and recovery
- having more patients ready for surgery, with less disruption to theatre time
- working across a broader mix of surgical cases
- a better workplace culture with clearer roles and less overtime
- stronger teamwork and multidisciplinary care.
Contact
To learn more about the Surgiflow pilot program, contact the Healthcare Improvement Unit at HIU@health.qld.gov.au.
We also have information for GPs about service referrals.