HIPE reveals decreased inpatient discharges

Day-patient discharges increased by 7.3 per cent and inpatient discharges decreased by 0.2 per cent between 2007-’08, according to the latest ESRI hospital activity figures. The report — which presents information on discharges from acute public hospitals participating in the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry scheme (HIPE) in 2008 — reveals that close to 1.37 million discharges were reported in 2008 compared to 1.32 million discharges in 2007. Some 56.3 per cent of total discharges were day patients. {openx:269} Total discharges used over 4.47 million bed days in 2008 — an increase of 0.5 per cent on the 2007 figure. Acute in-patients…