THE NUMBER of people discharged from hospitals increased by 3 per cent last year, compared with 2009, though the number of bed days used in hospitals has fallen, a new report from Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) finds.
The Activity in Acute Public Hospitals in Ireland 2010report is published this morning and finds more than 1.44 million discharges were reported last year by hospitals participating in the report, compared with 1.41 million in 2009, up 3 per cent.
The report presents information on discharges from 57 acute public hospitals participating in the Hospital Inpatient (HIPE) scheme. The hospitals collect demographic and clinical information on every patient.
“Day patients accounted for 59 per cent of total discharges in 2010, an increase of 4 per cent since 2009. Given that day cases accounted for 53 per cent of total discharges in 2006, the mean increase over the period 2006-2010 was 6.6 per cent.”
The report finds females accounted for 53 per cent of total discharges, though given that 21 per cent of all inpatients were maternity patients – ie mothers – males accounted for the majority of non-maternity inpatients.
Last year inpatients accounted for 41 per cent of total discharges of which 60 per cent were emergency inpatients, 18 per cent were elective and 21 per cent were maternity.
Acute inpatients stayed a mean of 4.9 days and inpatients used just over 3.57 million bed days in 2010, a decrease of 1 per cent from 2009.
Public patients accounted for 81 per cent of total discharges, and 78 per cent of total inpatient bed days, while private patients accounted for the remaining 19 per cent of discharges and 22 per cent of total inpatient bed days.
Medical card holders accounted for 54 per cent of total discharges.
Almost one-third of total discharges were aged 65 years and older – an increase of 5 per cent over the year from 2009 to 2010 and a mean increase of 5.6 per cent between 2006 and 2010. This age group also used the highest proportion of inpatient bed days (40 per cent), an increase of almost 1 per cent on 2009.
Looking at maternity discharges, the report finds 72,675 women gave birth in acute public hospitals reporting to HIPE last year.
Non-instrumental vaginal deliveries accounted for almost six in every 10 deliveries, followed by Caesarean section which accounted for 26 per cent, and instrumental (forceps or ventouse vacuum) deliveries accounted for the remainder.
Almost 24 per cent of women who delivered and who were treated on a public basis had a Caesarean section.
Of these Caesarean section deliveries, 44 per cent were elective.
Almost 35 per cent of women who delivered and who were treated on a private basis had a Caesarean section. Of these Caesarean section deliveries, 60 per cent were elective.
The report can be viewed in full on the ESRI website at esri.ie.
