The future for healthcare delivery in Australia

Australia’s healthcare system is at a crossroads. Rising demand for healthcare services, disruptive technologies, evolving data governance, and a growing need for accessible and affordable patient-centred care are converging to create an urgent need for system-wide transformation. As we look ahead, the future of healthcare delivery in Australia must be reimagined to meet the complex and evolving needs and expectations of healthcare professionals, patients, families, carers, and communities.

Rising demand and shifting expectations

The healthcare sector is experiencing increased demand for services, driven by demographic, clinical, and societal factors. As the Australian population grows and ages, the need for integrated healthcare services continues to increase, placing pressure on providers to adapt and expand their capabilities, including services and delivery models to increase service availability and accessibility. The prevalence of chronic diseases is also rising, requiring more specialised care and complex treatment pathways that further exacerbate challenges for traditional service models.

There is a growing emphasis on prevention as a pillar for sustainable and patient-centred healthcare, resulting in a shift from reactive treatment to preventative care. This shift will require providers and organisations to redesign their operating models, processes, technology use, workforce structures, and governance frameworks to support early intervention and service delivery. Proactive intervention and health promotion are essential to reducing long-term costs and improving quality of life. Meeting the evolving expectations of patients and communities will require agility, innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement to deliver high quality and affordable service delivery options.

Patients, carers, and families expect healthcare to be not only accessible but also personalised, with coordination and communication across services. This shift in expectations highlights the importance of integrated care models and digital innovation in meeting contemporary needs, including accessibility and user-friendliness. Technology and data will play a crucial role in meeting demands for healthcare services, improving access and supporting information sharing between providers. 

Challenges facing the system

Responding to the growing need for healthcare services is increasingly restricted by systemic challenges in the workforce and infrastructure. Funding limitations and rising operational costs place pressure on providers to scale services sustainably, while workforce shortages create increased pressure on clinicians, service availability challenges, and gaps in speciality experience across the sector. These pressures are particularly heightened in regional and rural areas, where service access and attracting and retaining skilled professionals remains a persistent challenge.

Training pipelines are struggling to keep pace with the increasing demand for healthcare professionals, limiting the sector’s ability to equip new professionals with the skills required quickly and across all specialities and locations. At the same time, existing staff face unsustainable workloads, leading to widespread burnout and fatigue. This not only affects service quality but also contributes to higher turnover rates and professionals leaving the sector.

Infrastructure development is also a critical concern. Many organisations cannot build or upgrade facilities fast enough to support current delivery models and demand, let alone future needs. Without strategic investment in collaborative approaches and digital infrastructure, the sector risks falling behind in its ability to deliver high-quality, affordable, efficient, and patient-centred care.

Digital transformation is essential to meet future needs. However, the healthcare sector faces challenges from a fragmented system. Patient data is stored across different platforms and providers creating siloed information impacts continuity and quality of patient care. To integrate patient information, data security and privacy compliance will be required with the standardisation of data for technology use.

Opportunities for transformation

Despite the significant challenges facing the healthcare sector, there are compelling opportunities to reshape service delivery and build a more resilient, efficient, and patient-centred system. One of the most impactful areas lies in reimagining processes and patient journeys. By reviewing workflows and identifying inefficiencies, healthcare organisations can unlock new ways to optimise resources, improve care coordination, and enhance the overall patient experience.

Workforce wellbeing and planning are key opportunities for the healthcare system. Addressing psychological safety and organisational culture can mitigate burnout, improve retention, and boost productivity. Workforce planning, including organisational reviews or functional reviews can help align staffing models and structures with future service demands to ensure that healthcare providers are equipped to meet evolving patient expectations and to provide career progression and development opportunities for employees.

Technology and data are central opportunities for this transformation. Using systems and technology to increase high-impact patient-clinician interactions while minimising routine, manual, and duplicative tasks will help to support clinicians and improve patient access to personalised quality care. Developing robust data governance frameworks enables better decision-making, supports the use of AI for value-adding interactions, and strengthens patient-centred care. Change management and engagement activities will be required to support the speed of adaptation, increase workforce readiness to confidently use digital tools, and to enable patient access and useability. Effective change management is essential to support clinicians, providers, and patients through the digital transition, to increase trust in technologies and ensure that improvements are implemented and sustained over time.

When approached holistically, these opportunities offer a pathway to a more adaptive, integrated, and future-ready healthcare system.

Designing a system aligned to consumer needs

To meet the expectations of modern healthcare consumers, healthcare must be designed with the individual at the centre. This means engaging and empowering patients throughout their lifespan, facilitating access to care that aligns with individual goals, and promoting patient-centred health data ownership. A well-designed healthcare system should seamlessly integrate hospital admissions, home-based health services, primary care, allied health, and emergency triage to ensure continuity and high-quality care.

Designing future systems should focus on practical, innovative, and evidence-based strategies that support both patient and workforce wellbeing. These include:

• Reviewing and redesigning patient journeys and workflows: Identify pain points, streamline processes, and optimise the use of resources and technology
• Conducting technology reviews: Uncover inefficiencies and select solutions that enhance user experience, access, and operational performance
• Developing data governance frameworks: Support patient-centred care, support analytics-driven decision-making, and unlock the potential of AI for value-adding interactions
• Conducting resource and functional reviews: Have the right number of people, with the right skills, in the right places to deliver services and quality patient care
• Implementing change management strategies: Empower clinicians, providers, and patients to adapt to new models of care while maintaining confidence, trust, quality, and continuity.

By embedding these principles into system design, healthcare organisations can create environments that are efficient, sustainable, and deeply aligned with the values and expectations of the people and communities they support.

How can BDO support you?

Our BDO healthcare consulting team brings health expertise and frontline clinical experience to support healthcare organisations on their transformation journeys. We understand the sector’s complexities and the evolving expectations of patients, communities, clinicians, healthcare providers, and policymakers.

For more information, contact BDO’s healthcare team to discuss.