Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 284: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of inpatient admissions to date in 2005 and for the same period in 2004. [32916/05]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 285: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of inpatient procedures to date in 2005 and for the same period in 2004. [32917/05]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 286: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of accident and emergency attendances to date in 2005 and for the same period in 2004. [32918/05]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 287: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of day case admissions to date in 2005 and for the same period in 2004. [32919/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 to 287, inclusive, together.

Data on the number of inpatient admissions, day cases and accident and emergency attendances relating to publicly funded acute hospitals for the period January to August 2004 and 2005 are provided in the following table. Information on inpatient procedures is available from the hospital inpatient inquiry, HIPE, system which gives details of activity in all publicly funded acute hospitals in the state as well as in two private hospitals. Comprehensive data for 2005 are not yet available. The HIPE system shows that in 2004 1,546,235 inpatient procedures were carried out. This figure covers all inpatient procedures including minor diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. More than one procedure may be carried out per hospital stay.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 288: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the cost of standard case mix in 2004 for day surgery and inpatient surgery. [32920/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Separate national base prices for surgery only cases are not produced as all patient types, surgical, medical and other, are encompassed within the national case mix programme. The present case mix classification system categorises patients into 665 surgical, medical and other diagnosis related groups, or DRGs. What is termed the case mix adjusted base price for inpatients and day cases is the average cost of a case nationally when all national data, collected in the 37 hospitals that participate in the programme, for all 665 DRGs, surgical, medical and other, have been aggregated for all patients in the programme. This is the cost of treating a standard case with a complexity of one.

Data regarding 2003 activity and costs are €540 and €3,644 respectively. These figures have already been released to the Deputy. Data regarding 2004 are being audited, as part of the annual case mix budget adjustments which will form part of the 2006 financial allocations, and will be available in early January.