National Elective Surgery Waiting Times Data Collection (NESWTDC)

National elective surgery waiting times data collection |Main data elements included in the NESWTCD | National elective surgery waiting times data service | Publications | Additional information and limitations

• The NESWTDC is compiled by the AIHW from data supplied by the state and territory health authorities. It is a collection of electronic confidentialised summary records for patients on elective surgery waiting lists and patients removed from waiting lists (for admission or another reason). Data is held for the years 1995-96 to 2006-07. 
• The collection is based on public acute care hospitals only. However data for some smaller public hospitals are not collected. Private hospitals are generally not included. 
• The total number of admissions from elective surgery waiting lists reported to the NESWTDC for 2006-07 was more than 557,000. 
• The National health data dictionary definitions form the basis of the data collection, ensuring a high standard of data comparability.

---

Main data elements included in the NESWTDC

[ top ]

The data elements listed below form part of the National Minimum Data Set for Elective Surgery Waiting Times.

• Extended wait patient
• Indicator procedure
• Overdue patient 
• Reason for removal from elective surgery waiting list
• Specialty of surgeon
• Clinical urgency
• Waiting time at removal from elective surgery waiting list

---

National elective surgery waiting times data service

[ top ]

The AIHW provides extracts from the National elective surgery waiting times data collection (NESWTDC) on request. A charge may apply. The amount charged will depend on the extract requirements and the complexity of the analysis undertaken. 

Confidentialised data based on records included in the collection are available for a range of health service research and planning purposes.

To request data from this collection email Hospital Unit

---

Publications

[ top ]

An annual report is published on hospital activity and operations. The current report, Australian Hospital Statistics 2006-07, includes analyses of the majority of the data elements included in the database and hard copies are available for $42.00 from CanPrint.

Chapter 6 Waiting times for elective surgery contains summary tables on various waiting time statistics such as the distribution of days waited, admissions for waiting lists and additions and removals from waiting lists. Information is also included by the specialty of surgeon who was to perform the elective surgery and by indicator procedure. 

Earlier data on Elective surgery waiting times have been reported and can be accessed online via the links below.

• Elective surgery in Australia: new measures of access 2008
• Waiting for elective surgery in Australian public hospitals, 1995
• Waiting times for elective surgery 1995-96 and 1996-97
• Waiting times for elective surgery 1997-98
• Waiting times for elective surgery 1998-99
• Waiting times for elective surgery 1999-00
• Australian hospital statistics 2000-01 (Chapter 5)
• Australian hospital statistics 2001-02 (Chapter 5)
• Australian hospital statistics 2002-03 (Chapter 5)
• Australian hospital statistics 2003-04 (Chapter 6)
• Australian hospital statistics 2004-05 (Chapter 6)
• Australian hospital statistics 2005-06 (Chapter 6)
• Australian hospital statistics 2006-07 (Chapter 6)

---

Additional information and limitations

[ top ]

• Patients can be removed from the elective surgery waiting list for admission or other reasons (for example, if they were admitted as an emergency patient for the awaited procedure; they could not be contacted; had died; had been treated elsewhere or had declined the surgery).
• The actual definitions used by the data providers may vary from year to year and between jurisdictions. Comparisons between the states and territories and reporting years should be therefore made with caution.

Last reviewed on 30 May 2008