Report on Government Services 2002

New Health Data

This data was issued subsequent to the release of the report.

Hospitalisations data for Indigenous Australians

The Public hospitals chapter (chapter 5) noted that the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has revised the Hospital data for Indigenous Australians. These data replace the data in tables 5A.20, 5A.21 and 5A.22 of attachment, 5 Public Hospitals. The revisions affect table 5.12 (page 216 of chapter 5), and figures 5.14 and 5.15 (pages 217 and 218 of chapter 5).

Efficiency data

The public hospitals chapter also noted that the AIHW would revise the cost per casemix adjusted separation data, as the data for 1999-2000 in chapter 5 are based on 1998-99 cost weights, rather than 1999-2000 cost weights. The revised data based on 1999-2000 cost weights are contained in the new chapter 5 table 5.13 and figures 5.16, 5.17 and 5.18, and the new attachment 5 tables, 5A.24, 5A.27, 5A.28, 5A.29 and 5A.32.

Waiting times data

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released waiting times for elective surgery data for 1999-2000 on 30 January 2002. These data are not comparable with the data in chapter 5 of the Report on Government Services 2002. The latter reports the per cent of patients waiting extended periods for elective surgery defined according to the clinical urgency category of the patient. The AIHW publication, on the other hand, reports the number of days waited by patients at the median and 90th percentile. The AIHW presentation has recently been agreed by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) in late 2001. The Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth State Service Provision will in future adopt the presentation agreed by AHMAC.