The potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPH) indicator is a proxy measure of primary care effectiveness. PPH are certain hospital admissions that potentially could have been prevented by timely and adequate health care in the community. There are 22 conditions for which hospitalisation is considered potentially preventable, across 3 broad categories: chronic, acute and vaccine-preventable conditions. This 2017–18 data update provides information by Primary Health Network (PHN) and Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3). Rates for two age groups (for people aged under 65 years, and 65 years and over) are also included.

  • Cat. no: HPF 36
Findings from this report:

  • There were nearly 748,000 potentially preventable hospitalisations in Australia in 2017–18

  • Around 7% of all hospitalisations were classified as potentially preventable

  • Nearly 10% of all hospital bed days were for potentially preventable hospitalisations

  • Rates of potentially preventable hospitalisations varied greatly across local areas