PATIENTS

In 2012-13, there were nearly 3.1 million patient separations from Acute and psychiatric hospitals, an increase of 4.3% from 2011-12. The largest proportion of separations occurred in New South Wales (28.1%), followed by Victoria (25.6%) and Queensland (22.6%). Victoria had the highest percentage increase in separations (5.5%) from 2011-12 to 2012-13. Metropolitan hospitals accounted for 88.4% of all separations, with hospitals in this category accounting for 87.4% of the available beds and chairs.

Nearly 8.3 million patient days were recorded in Acute and psychiatric hospitals in 2012-13, up 2.9% from 2011-12. Victoria recorded the strongest growth in patient days over this period at 3.7%.

The average length of stay for Acute and psychiatric hospitals in Australia during 2012-13 was 2.7 days, the same as for 2011-12.

The bed occupancy rate in Acute and psychiatric hospitals for 2012-13 was 84.6%, slightly lower that the 84.9% in 2011-12. The occupancy rate was higher in hospitals located in Metropolitan areas (86.1%) than in Rural areas (73.8%).

TABLE 2.5: PRIVATE ACUTE AND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, States and territories, 2011-12 to 2012–13
		Patient separations		Patient days		Average length of stay	Bed occupancy rate(a)
		'000	%	'000	%	days	%
		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	100.0	8,066	100.0	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
		2012-13
New South Wales		870	28.1	2,268	27.3	2.6	87.0
Victoria		793	25.7	2,231	26.9	2.8	84.7
Queensland		698	22.6	1,975	23.8	2.8	88.6
South Australia		224	7.2	569	6.9	2.5	83.7
Western Australia		np	np	np	np	np	np
Tasmania, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory(b)		np	np	np	np	np	np
Australia(c)		3,092	100.0	8,299	100.0	2.7	84.6
Location
	Metropolitan(d)	2,733	88.4	7,385	89.0	2.7	86.1
	Rural(d)	359	11.6	913	11.0	2.5	73.8
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 over half of the patient separations and patient days reported in 2012-13 at 56.0% and 55.0% respectively. This is comparable to the proportion of beds and chairs that are located in For profit hospitals (54.3%). Religious or charitable Not for profit hospitals accounted for 36.3% of separations and 36.4% 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 (85.7%, down from 86.3% in 2011-12), followed by the Religious or charitable Not for profit hospitals (84.1%, up from 83.6% in 2011-12). The occupancy rate has decreased for Other Not for profit hospitals from 81.4% in 2011-12 to 79.4% in 2012-13.

The average length of stay was shortest for the smallest hospitals, at 1.9 days for hospitals with 0-25 beds, compared with 2.8 days at hospitals with more than 200 beds. The smallest hospitals have the lowest occupancy rates (61.9% for hospitals with 0-25 beds) and the hospitals with more than 200 beds recorded the highest occupancy rate (88.9%).

TABLE 2.6: PRIVATE ACUTE AND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, Australia—Sector(a)—2012-13
		Patient separations		Patient days		Average length of stay	Bed occupancy rate(b)
		'000	%	'000	%	days	%
		For profit/Not for profit sector
For profit		1,732	56.0	4,564	55.0	2.6	85.7
Not for profit
	Religious or charitable	1,121	36.3	3,022	36.4	2.7	84.1
	Other(c)	239	7.7	712	8.6	3.0	79.4
Total(d)		3,092	100.0	8,299	100.0	2.7	84.6
		Hospital size(e)
0–25 beds		70	2.3	131	1.6	1.9	61.9
26–50 beds		235	7.6	648	7.8	2.8	76.2
51–100 beds		710	23.0	1,858	22.4	2.6	82.7
101–200 beds		1,014	32.8	2,643	31.8	2.6	85.0
Over 200 beds		1,062	34.4	3,018	36.4	2.8	88.9
Total(d)		3,092	100.0	8,299	100.0	2.7	84.6
(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 2012-13, 86.4% of patient separations from Acute and psychiatric hospitals carried hospital insurance, down from 87.1% in 2011-12. South Australia had the highest proportion of patient separations that carried hospital insurance, at 95.7%, while New South Wales had the lowest proportion of the four largest states at 81.6% coverage.

TABLE 2.7: PRIVATE ACUTE AND PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS, Patient insurance sector—States and territories—2012-13
	NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	WA	Tas., NT & ACT(a)	Aus.(b)
	Patient separations ('000)
Hospital insurance(c)	709	678	626	214	np	np	2,671
No hospital insurance	73	92	56	9	np	np	276
Total(d)	870	793	698	224	np	np	3,092
	Patient separations (%)
Hospital insurance(c)	81.6	85.4	89.7	95.7	np	np	86.4
No hospital insurance	8.5	11.7	8.0	3.9	np	np	8.9
Total(d)	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
	Average length of stay (Days)
Hospital insurance(c)	2.6	2.7	2.9	2.5	np	np	2.7
No hospital insurance	2.7	3.3	2.6	2.6	np	np	2.9
Total(d)	2.6	2.8	2.8	2.5	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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