HOSPITALISATION
Separations
Separation refers to the process by which an admitted patient completes an episode of care by either being discharged, dying, transferring to another hospital, or changing type of care (for example, from having an acute illness to rehabilitation).
Public in-patient hospital services in the ACT are provided at The Canberra Hospital and Calvary Public Hospital. In-patient hospital services for private patients in the ACT are provided by Calvary Private Hospital, John James Memorial Hospital and the National Capital Private Hospital.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), there were 72,136 public hospital separations in the ACT during 2005-06. This was an increase of 8,498 separations (13%) from 2004-05 (63,600). Nationally, there were 4.5 million public hospital separations during 2005-06, an increase of 4% (190,000 separations) compared with 2004-05.
Same day separations
Some patients are admitted into hospital and separated on the same day. During 2005-06, there were 39,500 public hospital patients who had same day separations (55% of separations).
Over the last four years, same day separations in ACT public hospitals have steadily increased.
Average length of stay
The average length of stay for patients admitted to ACT public hospitals was 3.4 days during 2005-06, a decline from 3.6 days in 2004-05.
During 2005-06 for the ACT, the average length of stay, excluding same day separations, was 6.3 days, compared with 6.5 days in 2004-05. The national average length of stay in 2005-06, excluding same day separations, was 6.6 days.
7.11 Hospital separations, Public hospitals: ACT |
|  |
| | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | |
| |
| Separations | no. | 63 743 | 69 029 | 63 638 | 72 136 | |
| Same day separations | no. | 36 145 | 39 024 | 33 781 | 39 467 | |
| Average length of stay | days | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | |
| Average length of stay, excluding same day separations | days | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.3 | |
| Separations per 1,000 population | no. | 219.7 | 235.6 | 214.4 | 238.4 | |
| Patient days | no. | 219 493 | 235 195 | 224 060 | 244 309 | |
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| Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Hospital Statistics, 2002-03 (AIHW cat. no. HSE32), Australian Hospital Statistics, 2003-04 (AIHW cat. no. HSE37), Australian Hospital Statistics, 2004-05 (AIHW cat. no. HSE41), Australian Hospital Statistics, 2005-06 (AIHW cat. no HSE50). |
