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Main data elements in the NESC
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
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
An annual report, Australian hospital statistics 2008-09 , includes analyses of the majority of the data elements included in the database.
Chapter 6 Access to 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.
Additional information and limitations
- 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.