Skip the NI Direct Bar
Skip navigation

Release of Northern Ireland inpatient and outpatient hospital statistics for 2009/10

Thursday, 26 August 2010

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety today published the 2009/10 Inpatient and Outpatient Activity Hospital Statistics for Northern Ireland.

These Hospital Statistics publications outline (a) the number of inpatient and day case admissions and (b) the number of attendances at consultant led outpatient services in Northern Ireland during 2009/10, analysed by HSC Trust, hospital and specialty.

Both publications are available online.

Key Findings 2009/2010

Inpatient Activity

  • During 2009/10 there were 583,501 inpatient and day case admissions to hospital in Northern Ireland. This was a decrease of 1.0% (6,002) on the number of admissions during 2008/09 but was up 6.6% (36,157) on the number admitted during 2005/06. 51.3% (299,878) of the admissions during 2009/10 were inpatient admissions, with the other 48.7% (283,623) patients admitted as day cases.
  • After a slight decrease between 2005/06 and 2006/07, the day case rate for acute services has steadily increased from 70.3% in 2006/07 to 72.4% in 2009/10. The greatest increase occurred between 2007/08 and 2008/09 when the day case rate increased by 1 percentage point from 70.9% to 71.9%.
  • In the period between 2005/06 and 2009/10, the average number of available beds throughout Northern Ireland decreased by 11.7% (962) from 8,238 to 7,276. Similarly when comparing the average number of available beds during 2008/09 and 2009/10, we can see a decrease of 5.6% from 7,706 beds in 2008/09 to 7,276 beds in 2009/10. The greatest decrease in average available beds was evident in the Elderly Care programme of care, which decreased by 215 beds (-17.1%) from 1,259 in 2008/09 to 1,044 in 2009/10.
  • The occupancy rate in hospitals in Northern Ireland was 81.8% during 2009/10; this was a decrease from 82.3% in 2008/09 and a decrease from 83.6% in 2005/06.
  • Average length of stay in hospitals has fallen consistently each year from 8.5 days in 2005/06 to 7.2 days in 2009/10. In the last year average length of stay fell by 0.2 days from 7.4 days in 2008/09 to 7.2 days in 2009/10.
  • In 2009/10, the specialties with the highest proportion of admissions were nephrology with 18.3% (104,048) of all admissions, followed by general medicine with 13.6% (79,339) and general surgery with 12.2% (71,189).

Outpatient Activity

  • During 2009/10, 1,542,961 patients were seen at consultant led services within HSC hospitals in Northern Ireland. This was a decrease of 20,869 (-1.3%) on the 1,563,830 seen during the previous year, but was up 22,626 (+1.5%) on the number seen in 2005/06.
  • 32% (487,644) of patients seen during 2009/10 were new attendances, the other 68% (1,055,317) being reviews, resulting in a new to review ratio of 1:2.2.
  • Compared to 2008/09, new attendances increased by 6,733 (+1.4%), whereas review attendances decreased by 27,602 (-2.5%).
  • Patients missed a total of 176,983 appointments during 2009/10, giving a DNA rate of 10.3. This was down 0.5 points on the comparable rate for 2008/09.
  • Patients cancelled 184,693 appointments during 2009/10, a CNA rate of 10.7, which was the same as that reported last year.
  • Hospitals cancelled 198,346 appointments, a hospital cancellation rate of 11.4, which was down 0.9 points on the rate reported for 2008/09.

Notes to editors:

1. Publication of Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics 20009/10

  • Hospital Information Branch (DHSSPS) historically published the annual Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics publication on behalf of the Department each year. This publication included data on activity at HSC hospitals in Northern Ireland, specifically, inpatient admissions, theatre utilisation, attendances at consultant led outpatient services, attendances at Accident and Emergency Departments and data relating to Mental Health Services.
  • From this year, 2009/10, these data will be published in four separate publications relating to (i) Inpatient Activity; (ii) Outpatient Activity; (iii) Accident and Emergency Services and (iv) Mental Health Services.
  • This statistical press release relates to the publication of two National Statistics publications containing data relating to (i) Inpatient Activity and (ii) Outpatient Activity. Data relating to Accident and Emergency Services were published on 5 August 2010, with the data on Mental Health Services published on 19 August 2010.

2. Data definitions

Inpatient and Day Case Activity

  • Average Available/Occupied Beds

The average number of available and occupied beds during the year in wards that are open overnight, measured at midnight. Hospitals may also have a number of beds in wards that are only open during the day. Beds reserved for day care admission or regular day admission are not included.

  • Inpatient Admission

Inpatient admissions include both (a) patients admitted electively with the expectation that they will remain in hospital for at least one night, and (b) non-elective admissions (e.g. emergency admissions). A patient who is admitted with this intention but who leaves hospital for any reason without staying overnight is still counted as an ordinary admission. Day cases and regular attenders are not included.

  • Day Case

A patient admitted electively during the course of a day with the intention of receiving care who does not require the use of a hospital bed overnight and who returns home as scheduled. If this original intention is not fulfilled and the patient stays overnight, such a patient should be counted as an inpatient admission. Regular attenders have been included in day case figures with the exception of the acute programme of care.

Outpatient Activity

  • Outpatient

A patient who attends a clinic to see a consultant, a member of his firm, or a locum for such a member.

  • Outpatient Did Not Attend – DNA

DNA refers to the number of patients with an appointment who did not attend and failed to give advance warning to the hospital and the number who did not attend but informed the hospital on the day on which the appointment was scheduled. The DNA rate is calculated by taking the number of missed appointments (DNAs) as a rate of the sum of the total number of attendances and missed appointments. Due to a change in the definition of a DNA, data from 2008/09 are not directly comparable with those for previous years.

  • Appointment cancelled by patient – CNA

A patient cancellation refers to an appointment that was intended to be held but was cancelled by the patient by the patient contacting the hospital no later than the day on which the appointment is scheduled and informing the hospital that they are unable to attend the scheduled appointment. The CNA rate is calculated by taking the number of patient cancellations (CNAs) as a rate of the sum of the total number of attendances and patient cancellations.

  • Appointment cancelled by the hospital

An appointment that was intended to be held, but which did not occur, due to circumstances within the hospital. Appointments may be cancelled by the hospital for a variety of reasons. These include, in order to reschedule the appointment to an alternative date and due to the unavailability of the consultant. The hospital cancellation rate is calculated by taking the number of appointments cancelled by hospitals as a rate of the sum of the total number of attendances and appointments cancelled by hospitals.

3. This information was collated by Hospital Information Branch, DHSSPS.

Further information is available from:
Hospital Information Branch,
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety,
Annex 2, Castle Buildings,
Stormont, BT4 3SQ

Telephone: 028 90 522800

E-mail:

Internet:

4. Media Enquires to the DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0579. For press enquiries out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.