HOSPITAL SEPARATIONS

In 2006-07, Indigenous persons accounted for 54% of the total hospital separations in the Northern Territory (NT) despite the fact that they make up 30% of the total NT population. Of the separations requiring overnight stays, 56% were for Indigenous persons and 44% for non-Indigenous persons.

During 2006-07, Indigenous persons accounted for 50% of day only separations, an increase from 34% from the previous year. In the Darwin region, Indigenous persons accounted for 22% of day only separations, despite the fact they make up less than 10% of the population. Likewise in the Barkly region, Indigenous persons accounted for 97% of day only separations, while making up only 60% of the population. In contrast, in the East Arnhem region Indigenous persons accounted for 41% of the day only separations while making up 61% of the population.

Indigenous people were likely to have more than two diseases associated with their admission, whereas on average, total NT admissions were likely to have more than one disease associated with their admission.

Of the 87 857 causes related to all hospital separations in the NT, care involving dialysis (40%) was the most common cause. Care involving dialysis was also the most common cause of the 61 163 cases (54%) related to Indigenous hospital separations in 2006-07. For both Indigenous and total persons, hospital separations due to care involving dialysis has risen by 1% since 2005-06 from 35 130 to 35 552.

Other common causes that contributed to Indigenous hospital separations included: diseases and disorders of the respiratory system (5%); diseases and disorders of the digestive system (3%); and, pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (3%). The same three causes were also amongst the common causes that contributed to total hospital separations: diseases and disorders of the respiratory system (5%); diseases and disorders of the digestive system (5%); and, pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (4%).

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