A JUST released report shows the amount of publicly funded inpatient hospital services delivered over the past 10 years
has grown 22.3 per cent.
The Ministry of Health's Hospital Throughput 1998/99 report shows an increase of 2.3 per cent in publicly funded
hospital services in the 1998/99 financial year compared to the previous 12 months, as measured by hospital discharges.
Between July 1 1998 and June 30 1999 there were 575,387 people discharged after publicly funded hospital treatment. Of
these, 68.6 per cent, or 394,921, were medical discharges, a rise of 1.9 per cent from the previous year. The other 31.4
per cent, or 180,466, were surgical discharges, representing a 3.2 per cent increase on the previous 12 month period.
Deputy-Director General David Lambie said the report contained information on what publicly funded inpatient hospital
treatment was provided by all hospitals in the financial year. It includes the amount of publicly funded surgery private
hospitals have undertaken.
The report has a breakdown of hospital discharges on the basis of age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic deprivation,
admission and discharge types; the average length of stay, percentage of day cases to total cases and maps showing
regions with throughput rates significantly different from the national average. It also contains throughput data for
the previous year.
"This report will be a good resource for District Health Boards when they are established later this year. In
recognition of the worth of this data to the new boards, we have broken the information into the proposed districts the
boards will serve.
"While this report gives regional health status data, the information is only part of the wider picture detailing what
is happening in each area and only one aspect of the Ministry's system of monitoring the health of New Zealanders and
health service performance," Dr Lambie said.
ENDS
For more information contact; Sue McCabe, Media Advisor, 04 496 2067 or 025 495 989 Internet Address;
http://www.moh.govt.nz
Background Information on Hospital Throughput 1998/99
What does this report tell us? The report presents information on what inpatient hospital treatment was publicly funded
between July 1 1998 -June 30 1999. It includes both Health Funding Authority and ACC funded treatment in both public and
private hospitals.
The report does not make any comment on the information.
How is the information categorised? The information is grouped according to; total medical and surgical throughput
major diagnostic category - for example diseases and disorders of the respiratory system Australian National Diagnosis
Related groups - for example diseases and disorders of the nervous system health speciality volumes - for example
cardiology, dental
The information presented includes; throughput - number of discharges (both raw and adjusted for cost-complexity)
discharges by age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic deprivation admission and discharge type average length of stay
percentage of total patients that were day cases (admitted and discharged on the same day) change in throughput from
1996/97 and 1997/98
Why was it carried out? The document is part of the Ministry's system of monitoring.
The report will provide a tool for helping District Health Boards assess the personal health needs of their resident
populations. The report will also be useful to health care professionals, all funders and providers of health care,
administrators of health care facilities, and health related consultants and researchers - whether academic or
commercial.
Who compiled this report? Hospital and Health Services and private hospitals contracted to perform publicly funded
treatments provided the Ministry with the information.
Is this an annual publication? The report is an annual publication and this is the fourth Hospital Throughput report
produced.
Where can I see the report
The report is available on the website www.moh.govt.nz
Selina Gentry Media Liason Communications DDI: 496 2483 Fax: 496 2010 mailto:selina_gentry@moh.govt.nz Ministry of
Health