Beyond the Hospital Walls: Rethinking Healthcare for a Sustainable Future
Emma Norgrove
Communications specialist helping organisations in the health, science and purpose-led sectors to connect with the right audience, at the right time, with the right message.
This week at Australian Healthcare Week 2025 in Sydney, I attended to stay connected with what’s shaping the future of healthcare—what’s making news, what challenges and opportunities lie ahead, and how those in the sector are responding.
One of the most pressing conversations centred around a challenge that will define the next decade: how do we meet rising healthcare demand when resources remain limited?
With hospital demand expected to double within the next ten years, we simply won’t have double the staff, double the beds, or double the funding. The solution? We must rethink how and where care is delivered.
A Shift Towards Community-Centred Care
The keynote panel, chaired by Lynden Roberts, Chief Medical Information Officer at Monash Health, explored holistic, multidisciplinary, and community-centred care models that extend healthcare beyond the hospital walls.
Key themes emerged:
Breaking Down Data Silos Interoperability is still a significant barrier. System-wide data integration and nationally aligned standards will be critical to ensuring clinicians across sectors can access complete patient records and deliver consistent, high-quality care.
Integrating Virtual Care & Telehealth While telehealth is now a cornerstone of modern healthcare, challenges remain—particularly around connectivity and system integration. Virtual health hubs streamlined referral pathways, and smarter use of digital screening tools could improve efficiency and reduce hospital strain.
Rethinking Workforce & Training With staff shortages and burnout placing pressure on the sector, workforce strategies must evolve;
New models of care – Virtual healthcare can enhance workforce flexibility, allowing nurses and clinicians to work remotely. This provides alternative career pathways, helping to retain experienced professionals who might otherwise leave due to long shifts or family commitments.
Redefining roles – Reshaping scope of practice and optimising workforce allocation will help reduce hospital bottlenecks. Empowering allied health professionals to take on broader roles will also be essential.
Early workforce exposure – Programs like Year 11 and 12 healthcare cadetships could provide structured training pathways, attracting more students into healthcare careers and addressing future workforce shortages.
Keeping Patients Out of Hospital: A Community Responsibility
A hospital-first approach is no longer sustainable. The future of healthcare depends on stronger collaboration between hospitals, primary care providers, aged care services, and community organisations to keep people healthier before they reach hospital doors.
Key solutions discussed included:
Strengthening partnerships between primary care providers and virtual hospitals to enable seamless referral pathways.
Enhancing health literacy so patients better understand their care options and can navigate healthcare systems with confidence.
Embedding health education in schools and community spaces to promote lifelong preventative health and reduce long-term healthcare demand.
A Cultural Shift: Making Change Work for Everyone
Change is never just about systems—it’s also about people, culture, and trust. As healthcare transforms, taking the community on this journey will be crucial.
A hybrid approach will be key, gradually integrating virtual and community-based care alongside traditional hospital settings. Patients already expect greater convenience, access, and digital solutions—but the transition must be carefully managed to ensure equity, safety, and public trust.
The Road to 2040: What’s Next?
AI & Automation: Routine administrative and diagnostic tasks will be streamlined with AI, allowing clinicians to focus on complex patient care.
Smarter Workforce Utilisation: Optimising staffing, documentation, and administrative processes will be crucial to improving efficiency and reducing burnout.
Multidisciplinary Community Hubs: Future healthcare will rely on integrated care centres, where GPs, physiotherapists, dietitians, and allied health professionals collaborate, supported by virtual health solutions.
The Time for Action Is Now
The future of healthcare will be shaped by how well we embrace innovation, strengthen partnerships, and shift towards a more connected, patient-centred system. With demand set to rise, now is the time to take bold, coordinated action—rethinking not just where care is delivered, but how we work together to ensure a more sustainable and equitable healthcare future.
Thank you to the following speakers for sharing their insights –
Anthony Brown - Chief Executive Officer, South West Hospital & Health Service Sarah McRae - Chief Executive Officer, Amplar Health Home Hospital Jill Wong - Acting Chief Executive, Mid North Coast LHD Lynden Roberts - Chief Medical Information Officer, Monash Health
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