This report shows the variation in the average cost of delivering similar services to similar patients in major metropolitan public hospitals for 2013–14 and, for the first time, changes in average costs for individual hospitals from 2011–12 to 2013–14.

This publication was originally published by the National Health Performance Authority, which transferred its activities to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on 1 July 2016.

  • ISSN: 2201-3091
  • ISBN: 978-1-76007-257-5
  • Cat. no: HPF 54
  • Pages: 15
Findings from this report:

  • The cost of providing care to similar acute patients can be almost 2X as high depending
    on the hospital

  • Costs by public hospitals to deliver an average service to acute admitted patients ranged from $3,100-$6,100

  • In 2013–14, across major regional public hospitals, the average Cost per NWAU was $4,470

  • 16 major public hospitals were found to have maintained or decreased their average cost of care since 2011–12