Hospitals
About the data
To assist in interpreting hospitals data, more detailed information about the data sources, data quality, analysis methods, and the definitions and classifications used are available below.
Information about data years not shown on this page may be found in previous AIHW hospitals reports, data downloads, or in the links to superseded content in the METEOR metadata below. You can also Contact us via the AIHW website.
| Principal database name/data source | Data set names1 | Data set METEOR metadata for recent years | Technical appendices/notes for recent years |
|---|---|---|---|
Admitted patient care2 | |||
AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) | Admitted patient care NMDS | ||
Emergency department care | |||
AIHW National Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care Database (NNAPEDCD) | AIHW Non-admitted Patient Emergency Department Care (NAPEDC) NMDS | ||
Elective surgery waiting times3 | |||
AIHW National Elective Surgery Waiting Times Data Collection (NESWTDC) | Elective surgery waiting times NMDS | ||
Hospital resources3 | |||
AIHW National Public Hospital Establishments Database (NPHED) | Local Hospital Networks/Public hospital establishments (LHN/PHE) NMDS | ||
AIHW Health Expenditure Database (HED) | Government health expenditure NMDS | ||
Non-admitted patient care | |||
AIHW National Non-admitted Patient Care (aggregate) Database NNAPC(agg)D) | Non-admitted patient care aggregate (NAPC aggregate) NBEDS | ||
AIHW National Non-admitted Patient (episode-level) Database (NNAP(el)D) | Non-admitted patient (NAP) NBEDS | ||
Safety and quality | |||
AIHW National Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteraemia Data Collection (NSABDC) | Healthcare-associated infections NBEDS | ||
National Hand Hygiene Data Collection | Hand hygiene NBEDS | ||
Notes:
- NMDS: National minimum data set. NBEDS: National best endeavours data set.
- Some Admitted patient care data also uses the NPHED.
- Some Hospital resources data and Elective surgery waiting times data also uses the NHMD.
Patient experience data on MyHospitals comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Patient experience survey.
24 March 2026 – The data tables and data visualisations in Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections 2024–25 have been updated to reflect resubmitted data from Queensland and some private hospitals.
Corresponding changes have also been made to the following pages
- Admitted patient safety and quality - Hospitals - AIHW
- Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections - Hospitals - AIHW
- Hospitals at a glance - Hospitals - AIHW
11 November 2025 – In Hospitals at a glance, the daily average hospitalisations figure has been updated from 34,600 to 34,500 to account for the 2023–24 leap year.
10 October 2025 – In the Admitted patient care activity section of Hospitals at a glance, the reference period in the first blue box presenting data on admission numbers was updated from 2022–23 to 2023–24.
26 August 2025 – The data tables and visualisations in the National Emergency Department Care 2023–24 publication have been updated to reflect First Nations population estimates from the 2021 Census, replacing the previously used 2016 Census data.
Changes have been made to the:
- In-text reference and Indigenous status Tableau visualisation on Emergency department presentations
- Emergency Department Care 2023–24 data tables
- Emergency department care 2023–24 appendix.
5 May 2025 – Updated Table 4.9 in the Excel data tables file 'Admitted patient care 2019–20: Why did people receive care?'.
June 2024:
- On the ‘Hospital safety and quality’ theme page, in the Healthcare-associated infections: Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (SABSI) section, the second bullet point has been amended.
- The following data tables have been amended:
- Admitted patient care 2022–23 Separations with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Table 11 title has been updated in the Contents, Table 11 and the Technical specifications tabs.
- Admitted patient care 2021–22 Separations with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Table 11 title has been updated in the Contents, Table 11 and the Technical specifications tabs.
- Admitted patient care 2020–21 Separations with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Table 11 title has been updated in the Contents, Table 11 and the Technical specifications tabs.