The third annual report on the state of Australian hospitals shows that more people were admitted to Australian public hospitals in 2004–05 than in any previous year. Of the 4.3 million Australians admitted to public hospitals, 86 per cent were treated as public patients, a similar proportion to 2003–04. Private hospital admissions, which totalled 2.7 million in 2004–05, grew at a faster rate than public hospital admissions.

More than 1.8 million surgical procedures were performed nationally during the year. While more than half of those were in private hospitals, public hospitals tended to care for a greater number of patients with more serious illnesses. In 2004–05, around 66 per cent of public hospital patients were admitted for acute medical care.

Emergency departments treated more than four million patients. Nationally, 99 per cent of resuscitation patients were treated immediately and 76 per cent of emergency patients were treated within 10 minutes. Nationally, half of all patients presenting to an emergency department were seen within 25 minutes, but the time varies depending on location.

The report shows that more people are waiting longer than the recommended time for all categories of elective surgery. In total, in 2004–05, only 82 per cent of elective surgery admissions were seen within the recommended time. This measure has been declining steadily since 1998–99, when 90 per cent of elective surgery patients where seen in the recommended time. Waiting times are not a reflection on the quality of care provided by public hospital staff who work under great pressure.
>
In Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT the number of public hospital beds per population fell compared to 1998–99. In NSW the number of beds remained the same and there was a slight increase in Tasmania. Queensland continues to have the lowest public hospital recurrent expenditure per person in the country.