The available literature on capacity management in health care focuses on improvementstrategies when demand exceeds capacity and queues are formed in various part of thesystem. This paper deals with a different problem: the studied units do not have apparentaccessibility problems and the demand and capacity patterns show an ideal match, but theproductivity is low, and personnel resources are not used efficiently. The capacitymanagement is disrupted by unclear demand and uncertain process to meet the patient’sneeds. The paper aims to contribute to the knowledge on capacity management in patientflows characterised by high variability and where care pathways are customised to eachindividual patient and require coordinated efforts from various professions.