The Department of Health today published the Northern Ireland Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics for 2022/23.
The purpose of this publication is to complement data contained in the Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity (2022/23) publication, issued on 3 August 2023 and available on the DoH website at:
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/inpatient-and-day-case-activity
While the Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity (2022/23) publication is based on admissions to hospitals, this publication is based on finished consultant episodes (FCEs). A patient may have more than one FCE during an admission to hospital.
The Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics show detailed analysis at specialty, diagnosis, procedure and healthcare resource group levels within the Acute Programme of Care (PoC 1). Episode-based data in Northern Ireland can be compared with the equivalent Hospital Episode Statistics published annually in England.
Key facts and figures for Northern Ireland Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics for 2022/23
Number of finished consultant episodes within the acute programme of care
- In 2022/23, there were 620,763 Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) in Northern Ireland hospitals within the Acute Programme of Care, an increase of 5.8% on the previous year (586,844 in 2021/22) and a decrease of 6.7% on the 665,150 recorded in 2018/19.
- Of the 620,763 FCEs during 2022/23, over a quarter, 175,603 (28.3%) were admitted for day case treatment. Over the last five years, the number of day case episodes has decreased by 11.5% from 198,474 in 2018/19 to 175,603 in 2022/23. Over the same period, the number of inpatient episodes decreased by 3.1% from 348,156 in 2018/19 to 337,332 in 2022/23.
- The average length of an inpatient episode was 3.7 days in 2022/23; an increase from 3.3 days in 2018/19.
High Volume Activity
This activity relates to the most common procedures carried out in HSC Hospitals, and the most frequently recorded diagnosis of patients admitted to hospital.
- In 2022/23, the most frequently recorded primary diagnoses was chronic kidney disease with a total of 79,098 FCEs (12.7%).
- In 2022/23, compensation for renal failure was the most frequently recorded main procedure (79,142).
Topical Information Areas
These are the areas most frequently requested by customers, including researchers and the general public.
- In 2022/23, there were 81,531 FCEs where a diagnosis of cancer or other neoplasm was recorded as the primary diagnosis – an increase of 3.4% when compared to 2021/22 (78,868) and of 0.9% when compared to 2018/19 (80,831).
- Over the same period, there has been a drop of 15.5% (decreasing from 45,491 in 2018/19 to 38,457 in 2022/23) in the number of FCEs where the primary diagnosis recorded was influenza, pneumonia, etc.
- FCEs where a diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease was recorded in a primary position, have decreased by 14.6% from 15,262 recorded in 2018/19 to 13,028 recorded in 2022/23.
- There has been a drop in the number of FCEs where a hip procedure was the primary intervention, from 3,134 in 2018/19 to 2,318 in 2022/23 – a decrease of 26.0%.
- The number of FCEs where a cataract procedure was carried out has decreased over the 5-year period from 7,948 in 2018/19 to 7,121 in 2022/23, representing a decrease of 10.4%.
Notes to editors:
1. All published hospital inpatient activity data is available online at:
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/dhssps-statistics-and-research/hospital-activity-statistics
2. Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Hospital Activity
- When interpreting the statistics presented in this report, consideration should be given to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on hospital services. Users should be aware that the pandemic drastically altered the functions of hospitals during the reporting period, including the availability and location of services. This has had a direct impact on the activity observed.
- 2022/23 data can be compared with previous years but users should bear in mind that many of the changes observed will be influenced by and attributable to the impact of COVID-19.
3. About the data
- A consultant episode is the time a patient spends in the continuous care of one consultant. The episode can be finished because of discharge, death or transfer, either to another consultant or another hospital. As a result, a patient may have more than one FCE during an admission to hospital (if transferred to the care of another consultant).
- Episode based data is used to perform detailed analysis at diagnostic and procedure level, which may vary between each of the episodes that form an admission. Episode data is used to answer Assembly /Parliamentary questions, ad-hoc queries and for financial analysis. In addition, episode based data in Northern Ireland can be compared with the equivalent Hospital Episode Statistics data published annually in England.
- Inpatient and day case episode data for all specialties within the acute services programme of care is collated monthly from each hospital’s Patient Administration System and is recorded in the Hospital Inpatient System (HIS). Each record within the HIS relates to an individual consultant episode and records details such as the date the patient was admitted, the diagnosis of the patient and any interventions/procedures the patient underwent.
- The total number of bed days has been calculated using the episode duration field within the Hospital Inpatient System; this is in contrast to the Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity (2022/23) publication which uses specialty level bed occupancy data from the KH03a aggregate return.
- All data published from 2008/09 excludes Independent Sector activity carried out within HSC Hospitals. HoPrior to this year, Independent Sector activity was included.
4. Definitions
- Admission: Total admissions has been taken to be the sum of all day cases, inpatients (elective and non elective) and regular attenders. Deaths and discharges have been used as an approximation for admissions.
- 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.
- Elective Inpatient: A patient for whom the decision to admit could be separated in time from the actual admission. This excludes emergency admissions and maternity or delivery episodes.
- Finished Consultant Episode (FCE): A period of continuous admitted patient treatment under the care of a consultant. An episode may be finished through death, discharge or transfer to the care of another consultant or hospital. If the patient is transferred from one consultant to another, a new FCE commences.
- Primary Diagnosis: The condition established as the main reason for admission after all investigations, diagnostic examinations and procedures have been carried out.
- Procedure / Intervention: A procedure or series of procedures aimed at restoring or improving the health of a patient, as by correcting a malformation, removing diseased parts, implanting new parts, etc. Defined by an OPCS code recorded in any of the procedure fields in the Hospital Inpatient System excluding codes Y80, Y81, Y82, Y84, Y90 and all Z codes.
- Bed Days: A day of bed occupation by an admitted inpatient (beds used for day case admissions and regular day / night attenders are not included). For example, if there are 100 inpatients who each remain in hospital for 5 days, the bed days figure will be 500. The total number of bed days in Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics has been calculated using the episode duration field within the Hospital Inpatient System; this is in contrast to the Inpatient and Day Case Activity Statistics publication which uses specialty-level bed occupancy data from the KH03a aggregate return.
5. This information was collated by Hospital Information Branch, DoH.
Further information is available from:
Hospital Information Branch,
Department of Health
Annexe 2, Castle Buildings,
Stormont, BT4 3SQ
Telephone: 028 90 522800
E-mail: statistics@health-ni.gov.uk
Internet https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/doh-statistics-and-research
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