Caboolture Hospital has launched Queensland’s first nurse-led Medical Discharge Support Service, giving patients from both medical and surgical wards a direct line to an expert clinical nurse consultant for up to 30 days after they leave hospital, in a move that aims to significantly reduce unnecessary emergency department presentations across the Moreton Bay region.
The service, led by Clinical Nurse Consultant Lynette Smith, officially commenced on 30 March 2026. The service operates as a phone-based point of contact, allowing patients to consult the nursing team from home regarding recovery concerns. This provides an immediate alternative to presenting at an emergency department or seeking a standard GP appointment for non-urgent post-hospital queries.
“Patients can contact the service within 30 days of leaving hospital to receive advice and support from our nursing team,” Smith said. “We’re helping with all aspects, from wound care and pain management to answering questions about recovery and coordinating referrals to GPs or outpatient services.”
The model makes Caboolture Hospital the first site in Queensland to extend the discharge support concept beyond surgical patients to cover medical ward discharges as well.
The problem it was built to solve
The statistics behind the new service reveal the scale of the gap it fills. Queensland data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program shows that one in ten post-operative patients presents to an emergency department within 30 days of being discharged, often with questions or concerns that do not require emergency-level care.
For a busy regional hospital like Caboolture, which serves one of the fastest-growing catchment areas in Queensland, that translates to a significant and largely avoidable burden on its emergency department. Patients who have just had surgery or been discharged after a medical admission are often uncertain about what is normal in their recovery, when to worry, and who to call. Without a clear answer, many default to the ED.
The Discharge Support Service is designed to be the answer to that question. A trained Clinical Nurse Consultant on the other end of a phone call can assess a patient’s concern, provide clinical advice, arrange a referral to an appropriate service or, where genuine emergency care is needed, direct the patient accordingly.
Built on an award-winning foundation
The new service extends the proven model of PODSS, the Post-Operative Discharge Support Service first developed and piloted at Metro North Health’s Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service in Brisbane.
PODSS was designed specifically for surgical patients and proved its value quickly. In its first five weeks of operation at STARS, the service received more than 305 calls covering everything from pain management and wound care queries to more serious complications requiring rapid referral.
The results were strong enough that six further Queensland hospitals, including sites in Mackay, Cairns, Rockhampton, Brisbane, Ipswich and on the Gold Coast, have since adopted the model. Several hospitals, including Queensland Children’s Hospital, Redcliffe Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital, have chosen to self-fund ongoing PODSS operations based on the clinical outcomes and high patient satisfaction they experienced.
Caboolture’s Discharge Support Service takes that foundation and widens the net. Where PODSS covered surgical patients, the new service also encompasses patients discharged from medical wards, the first time this expanded model has been implemented anywhere in Queensland.
“I’m passionate about making a positive difference in our patients’ recovery journeys and ensuring they feel supported once they leave hospital,” Smith said.
A phone call that can change a recovery
For Caboolture and Moreton Bay residents who have recently been discharged from Caboolture Hospital’s medical or surgical wards, the Discharge Support Service is available for 30 days from the date of discharge. Patients with concerns about their recovery, wound care, pain levels or any aspect of their post-hospital health are encouraged to use the service rather than waiting or presenting to an emergency department for non-urgent concerns.
For more information about the Discharge Support Service and other services at Caboolture Hospital, click here or call Caboolture Hospital on 07 5433 8888.
Published 29-April-2026
Featured Image Credit: Metro North Health
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