Surgery and other interventions

Clinical interventions that are captured within the data that describe treatment and/or care that:

• is surgical in nature, or
• carries a procedural risk, or
• carries an anaesthetic risk, or
• requires specialised training, or
• requires special facilities or equipment only available in an acute care setting.

Interventions can be invasive or non-invasive. Types of interventions include:

• surgical procedures – operating room procedures
• non-surgical investigative and therapeutic procedures – such as X-rays, diagnostic testing, and dialysis
• patient support interventions that are neither investigative nor therapeutic – such as general anaesthesia, physiotherapy, and other allied health interventions
• physiological assessments undertaken by doctors, nurses, and other allied health professionals
• manufacture and fitting of devices, aids, or equipment
• psychological therapies and skills training.

How many interventions were provided to admitted patients?

In 2024–25:

• 28.1 million interventions were reported across the 12.8 million hospitalisations, with 14.9 million performed in public hospitals and 13.2 million in private hospitals
• 79% of hospitalisations in public hospitals and nearly all hospitalisations in private hospitals (97%) involved at least one intervention
• public hospitals accounted for 9 out of 10 Radiation oncology procedures (90%) and 4 out of 5 Procedures on respiratory system (81%)
• private hospitals accounted for 4 out of 5 Dental services (80%) and Procedures on nervous system (81%).

From 2023–24 to 2024–25, the number of interventions increased by 1.4%, from 27.7 million in 2023–24 to 28.1 million in 2024–25. This increase was higher for public hospitals, which rose by 2.3% (from 14.5 million interventions in 2023–24 to 14.9 million in 2024–25), than for private hospitals, which increased by 0.5%.

How many interventions were provided to patients receiving same-day acute care?

In 2024–25:

• 13.2 million interventions were reported for patients in same-day acute care hospitalisations
• Cerebral anaesthesia (general anaesthesia and sedation, 2.9 million procedures), Haemodialysis (1.8 million) and Administration of pharmacotherapy (mostly chemotherapy, 1.1 million) accounted for almost half (44%) of all procedures.

From 2023–24 to 2024–25, the number of interventions reported for same-day acute separations increased by 2.4%, from 12.9 million to 13.2 million interventions.

How many interventions were provided to patients receiving overnight acute care?

In 2024–25:

• 12.2 million interventions were reported for patients receiving overnight acute care
• around 3 in 4 (76%) hospitalisations in public hospitals and 9 in 10 (91%) hospitalisations in private hospitals involved at least one intervention
• Generalised allied health interventions (for example, physiotherapy and other rehabilitation procedures) made up 42% of interventions in public hospitals (3.5 million).

From 2023–24 to 2024–25, the number of interventions reported for overnight acute hospitalisations remained stable at 12.2 million.

• Noninvasive ventilatory support increased by 5.9% from 126,000 to 134,000 interventions
• Assessment of personal care and other activities of daily/independent living increased by 5.5% from 238,000 to 251,000 interventions.

How many surgical procedures were provided?

This section presents information on hospitalisations involving a surgical procedure undertaken in an operating theatre. In 2024–25:

• 3.1 million hospitalisations (or 24% of all hospitalisations) involved surgery, with 3 in 5 (58%) of these occurring in private hospitals
• hospitalisations involving surgery accounted for 17% of all hospitalisations in public hospitals and 35% of all hospitalisations in private hospitals
• there were 2.6 million elective admissions involving surgery, 67% of which occurred in private hospitals
• for public hospitals, 65% of surgical hospitalisations were elective admissions, 27% were emergency admissions, and 8% did not have an urgency status assigned
• for private hospitals, 95% of surgical hospitalisations were elective admissions, 2.5% were emergency admissions, and 2.3% did not have an urgency status assigned.

From 2023–24 to 2024–25, hospitalisations involving surgery remained stable at 3.1 million.

Emergency hospitalisations involving surgery

In 2024–25:

• there were 398,000 emergency hospitalisations involving surgery (where hospitalisation was required within 24 hours), 89% of which occurred in public hospitals
• the most common principal diagnosis associated with these hospitalisations was Acute appendicitis (8.2%) and Fracture of femur (5.2%)
• Other debridement of skin and subcutaneous tissue was the most common surgical intervention (at the procedure block level) for emergency admissions involving surgery, with most (93%) of these performed in public hospitals.

From 2023–24 to 2024–25, emergency hospitalisations involving surgery increased by 1.1%, from 384,000 up to 398,000.

Elective hospitalisations involving surgery

In 2024–25:

• there were 2.6 million elective hospitalisations involving surgery (where surgery did not need to be performed within 24 hours), with nearly 7 in 10 (67%) of these occurring in private hospitals
• Other cataract surgery was the most common surgical intervention (at the procedure block level) for elective hospitalisations involving surgery with 72% of these performed in private hospitals.

From 2023–24 to 2024–25, elective hospitalisations involving surgery remained stable at 2.6 million.