Hospital stays of less than one day - same day separations - are
now almost half (46%) of all hospital separations, and have
increased by 52% since 1993-94 according to Australian hospital
statistics 1997-98, to be released on 30 June by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The average length of
stay in hospital also continues to decline: from 4.6 days in
1993-94 to 4.1 days in 1997-98.
Report co-author, Ms Jenny Hargreaves, said that with shorter
stays more patients are going through hospitals. Between 1996-97
and 1997-98 separations from public acute hospitals increased by 3%
and from private hospitals by 6%. Nearly a third of overall patient
separations were from private hospitals.
Conditions relating to the five national health priority areas -
cardiovascular health, cancer control, injury prevention and
control, mental health, and diabetes - made up 41% of total patient
days in 1997-98, representing more than 9 million patient days.
Australian hospital statistics 1997-98 also looks at
public hospital expenditure. The reports co-author, Dr Janis Shaw
said that $13 billion was spent on hospital services in 1997-98,
representing a real increase in spending of 5% (expenditure in
1996-97 was $12.2 billion).
Other findings in Australian hospital statistics
1997-98 include:
- One bed was available for every 332 Australians, ranging from
one bed for every 211 people in remote areas to one bed for every
366 people in metropolitan areas.
- About 68% of hospital patients were treated in public hospitals
during 1997-98, compared with 72% in 1993-94.
- Less than one in 10 public hospital patients were private
patients, compared to one in six in 1993-94.
- In 1997-98 people aged over 65 comprised 12% of the total
population, but accounted for 31% of total hospital separations,
and 46% of patient days.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were reported to
have almost twice the separation rate of the overall Australian
population, 86% higher, after allowing for age structure (although
the quality of Indigenous identification is not yet
acceptable).
30 June 1999
Further information: Ms Jenny Hargreaves, ph.
02 6244 1121, or Dr Janis Shaw, ph. 02 6244 1120.
For media copies of the report: Lena Searle, ph.
02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for details.