Dan Neville
Question:232 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients who were re-admitted to hospital within one week of discharge in 2002. [28164/03]
Written Answers. - Patient Statistics.
In 2002, there were 29,594 re-admissions to hospital within one week of discharge. This figure is derived from the hospital in-patient enquiry – HIPE – information system which gives details of activity in all publicly funded acute hospitals in the State as well as in one private hospital. HIPE data only allows the identification of a re-admission if it is to the same hospital as the original admission. The above figure includes all in-patient re-admissions, that is, re-admissions for the same condition, for an unrelated condition and planned re-admissions, and excludes day cases.