Winter Demand Management Strategy

Every winter, hospitals across Australia experience increased demand from people seeking treatment and care for a range of respiratory illnesses.

This year the health system faces the challenges of normal winter demand from respiratory illnesses, as well as COVID-19 cases and an expected high number of seasonal flu cases.

The Winter Demand Strategy 2022 (PDF 352KB) includes the additional measures being introduced protect our health system and our health care workers as demand increases across our hospitals.

The Strategy outlines the key priorities to ensure the community is protected, including:

  • COVID-19 and influenza prevention, self-care and community care
  • Opening more beds across hospitals
  • Expanding virtual care services to support people to stay out of hospital
  • Collaboration with private hospitals and providing more day surgery to enable elective surgery to continue
  • Alternative care pathways and care models.