4390.0 - Private Hospitals, Australia, 2011-12 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/07/2013   
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Contents >> Private Acute and Psychiatric Hospitals >> Acute & Psychiatric Patients

PATIENTS

In 2011-12, there were just under 3 million patient separations from Acute and psychiatric hospitals, an increase of 5.1% since 2010-11. Most of the separations occurred in New South Wales (28.1%), Victoria (25.3%) and Queensland (22.6%), broadly reflecting the distribution of beds and chairs (26.9%, 26.3% and 23.1% respectively). New South Wales had the highest percentage increase in separations in 2011-12 from 2010-11, of 7.5%. Metropolitan hospitals accounted for 88.2% of all separations, with hospitals in this category accounting for 87.3% of the available beds and chairs.

Over 8 million patient days were recorded in Acute and psychiatric hospitals in 2011-12, up 1.3% from 2010-11. New South Wales recorded the strongest growth in patient days over this period at 3.5%, followed by Queensland with 2.4%. Victoria and South Australia recorded patient days decreases of 1.4% and 2.7% respectively.

The average length of stay for Acute and psychiatric hospitals in Australia during 2011-12 was 2.7 days, slightly down from 2.8 days in 2010-11.

The bed occupancy rate in Acute and psychiatric hospitals for 2011-12 was 84.9%, slightly lower that the 85.9% in 2010-11. The occupancy rate was higher in hospitals located in Metropolitan areas (86.4%) than in Rural areas (74.7%).


TABLE 2.5: PRIVATE ACUTE AND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, States and territories, 2010-11 to 2011–12
Patient separations
Patient days
Average length of stay
Bed occupancy rate(a)
'000
%
'000
%
days
%

2010-11
New South Wales
774
27.4
2 131
26.8
2.8
87.1
Victoria
725
25.7
2 181
27.4
3.0
90.1
Queensland
639
22.6
1 885
23.7
3.0
86.1
South Australia
218
7.7
579
7.3
2.7
83
Western Australia
np
np
np
np
np
np
Tasmania, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory (b)
np
np
np
np
np
np
Australia (c)
2 822
100
7 966
100
2.8
85.9

Location
Metropolitan (d)
2 434
86.3
6 934
87
5.7
88.1
Rural (d)
388
13.7
1 032
13
2.7
73.8

2011-12
New South Wales
832
28.1
2 206
27.3
2.7
86.4
Victoria
751
25.3
2 151
26.7
2.9
86.2
Queensland
671
22.6
1 930
23.9
2.9
87.9
South Australia
220
7.4
564
7.0
2.6
82.4
Western Australia
np
np
np
np
np
np
Tasmania, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory (b)
np
np
np
np
np
np
Australia (c)
2 965
100
8 066
100
2.7
84.9

Location
Metropolitan (d)
2 617
88.2
7 163
88.8
2.7
86.4
Rural (d)
349
11.8
903
11.2
2.6
74.7

np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

(a) Calculated by dividing patient days by the product of average number of beds and the number of days in the year and expressed as a percentage. See Glossary for more information.
(b) Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have been aggregated to protect the confidentiality of the small number of hospitals in these states/territories.
(c) Figures have been rounded and discrepancies may occur between totals and the sums of the component items.
(d) Metropolitan and rural are two classifications included in the newly introduced Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). See Glossary for more detail.


Hospital sector

Private acute and psychiatric hospitals operating on a For profit basis accounted for a little over half of the patient separations and patient days reported in 2011-12 at 55.7% and 54.9% respectively. This is comparable to the proportion of beds and chairs that are located in For profit hospitals (54.0%). Religious or charitable Not for profit hospitals accounted for 36.3% of separations and 36.7% of the patient days, with Other Not for profit hospitals accounting for the balance.

There was little difference in average length of stay by hospital sector, with an overall average length of stay of 2.7 days.

Bed occupancy rates were highest in the For profit hospitals (86.3%, down from 88.2% in 2010-11), followed by the Religious or charitable Not for profit hospitals (83.6%, down from 85.3% in 2010-11). The occupancy rate has risen for Other Not for profit hospitals from 67.3% in 2010-11 to 81.4% in 2011-12.

The average length of stay was shortest for the smallest hospitals, at 2.2 days for hospitals with 0-25 beds, compared to 2.9 days at hospitals with more than 200 beds. There was a strong correlation between hospital size and bed occupancy rates, with the smallest hospitals having the lowest occupancy rates (60.5% for hospitals with 0-25 beds) and the hospitals with more than 200 beds recording the highest occupancy rate (91.4%).

TABLE 2.6: PRIVATE ACUTE AND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, Australia—Sector(a)—2011–12
Patient separations
Patient days
Average length of stay
Bed occupancy rate(b)
'000
%
'000
%
days
%

For profit/Not for profit sector
For profit
1 653
55.7
4 428
54.9
2.7
86.3
Not for profit
Religious or charitable
1 077
36.3
2 956
36.7
2.7
83.6
Other(c)
235
7.9
682
8.4
2.9
81.4
Total(d)
2 965
100
8 066
100
2.7
84.9

Hospital size(e)
0–25 beds
60
2.0
132
1.6
2.2
60.5
26–50 beds
214
7.2
601
7.4
2.8
74.4
51–100 beds
725
24.4
1 910
23.7
2.6
82.7
101–200 beds
938
31.6
2 478
30.7
2.6
84.2
Over 200 beds
1 029
34.7
2 945
36.5
2.9
91.4
Total(d)
2 965
100
8 066
100
2.7
84.9

(a) For definition of 'For Profit/not for profit sector', see Glossary.
(b) Calculated by dividing patient days by the product of average number of beds and the number of days in the year and expressed as a percentage. See Glossary for further information.
(c) Comprising bush nursing, community and memorial hospitals.
(d) Figures have been rounded and discrepancies may occur between totals and the sums of the component items.
(e) Based on available beds (average for the year).


Insurance status


During 2011-12, 87.1% of patient separations from Acute and psychiatric hospitals carried hospital insurance, up from 86.6% in 2010-11. South Australia had the highest proportion of patient separations that carried hospital insurance, at 95.5%, while New South Wales had the lowest proportion of the four largest states at 82.8% coverage.

TABLE 2.7: PRIVATE ACUTE AND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, Patient insurance sector—States and territories—2011–12
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas., NT & ACT(a)
Aus.(b)

Patient separations ('000)
Hospital insurance (c)
686
638
619
210
np
np
2 579
No hospital insurance
79
91
52
10
np
np
280
Total(d)
829
751
671
220
np
np
2 965

Patient separations (%)
Hospital insurance (c)
82.8
84.9
92.3
95.5
np
np
87.1
No hospital insurance
9.6
12.1
7.7
4.4
np
np
9.5
Total(d)
100
100
100
100
np
np
100

Average length of stay (Days)
Hospital insurance (c)
2.6
2.8
2.9
2.6
np
np
2.7
No hospital insurance
2.7
3.5
2.5
2.5
np
np
3.0
Total(d)
2.6
2.9
2.9
2.6
np
np
2.7

np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

(a) Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have been aggregated to protect the confidentiality of the small number of hospitals in these states/territories.
(b) Figures have been rounded and discrepancies may occur between totals and the sums of the component items.
(c) For definition of patient hospital insurance status, see Glossary.
(d) Total includes patient separations where insurance status is not stated.



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