Patient Flow Sankey Diagram: Operational Template
Draw a weekly view of arrivals, triage category and outcome to see where capacity is used. Operational throughput only, not clinical advice. Replace the counts.
A patient flow Sankey shows how people arriving at a service are sorted and where they end up. It is an operational picture of volumes, not a clinical one.
The example follows 1,000 weekly arrivals through three arrival routes, three triage categories and five outcomes. It shows, for instance, that most ambulance arrivals are urgent, and that urgent cases are more likely to be admitted.
Use it for capacity conversations: how many beds the admitted ribbon implies, or how many leave before being seen. It makes no clinical claim and should not be used to judge the care of any patient.
How to read this diagram
- 700 of 1,000 arrivals walk in; 120 of the 150 ambulance arrivals are urgent (80%).
- 200 patients are triaged urgent and 110 of them (55%) are admitted.
- 190 admissions in total, or 19% of arrivals, is the figure that drives bed demand.
- 10 patients leave before treatment; 20 are transferred.
The data behind it
Invented figures for illustration. Not data about any real business. Operational volumes only; not clinical guidance.
| From | To | Amount (patients) |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in | Urgent | 60 |
| Walk-in | Standard | 400 |
| Walk-in | Minor | 240 |
| Ambulance | Urgent | 120 |
| Ambulance | Standard | 30 |
| Referral | Urgent | 20 |
| Referral | Standard | 70 |
| Referral | Minor | 60 |
| Urgent | Admitted | 110 |
| Urgent | Treated and discharged | 90 |
| Standard | Admitted | 80 |
| Standard | Treated and discharged | 400 |
| Standard | Transferred | 20 |
| Minor | Treated and discharged | 290 |
| Minor | Left before treatment | 10 |
The same data as CSV
source,target,value
Walk-in,Urgent,60
Walk-in,Standard,400
Walk-in,Minor,240
Ambulance,Urgent,120
Ambulance,Standard,30
Referral,Urgent,20
Referral,Standard,70
Referral,Minor,60
Urgent,Admitted,110
Urgent,Treated and discharged,90
Standard,Admitted,80
Standard,Treated and discharged,400
Standard,Transferred,20
Minor,Treated and discharged,290
Minor,Left before treatment,10How it works
Choose a period and a unit
One week of arrivals, counting each person once.
Count arrivals by route and by triage category
Use the categories your service already records.
Count outcomes by category
Admitted, discharged, transferred and left before treatment.
Check the balance
Each triage category should send on exactly the arrivals it received.
Frequently asked questions
Is this suitable for reporting outcomes?
No. It shows volumes moving between operational categories. It does not measure quality of care or clinical outcomes.
What about personal data?
Use aggregate counts only. A Sankey needs totals, never patient records.
Edit this patient flow Sankey
Open the example as your own chart and enter your aggregate weekly counts.