August 2010 Progress Chart Your Health and Human Services Department of Health and Human Services
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August 2010
Progress ChartYour Health and Human Ser vices
Depar tment of Health and Human Ser vices
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 2
Published by Corporate Planning and Performance, Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania.
© Copyright State of Tasmania, Department of Health and Human Services, 2010.
This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
Published on www.dhhs.tas.gov.au
August 2010
ISSN 1823-3015
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 3
What is the overall level of activity in our hospitals?
A separation is an episode of admitted patient care. Raw separations are not adjusted for the complexity of the episode of care and represent each individual episode of care in a given period.
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, compared to the same period in the previous year, there was:
• A 2.7 per cent increase in raw separations at the RHH.
• A 4.1 per cent decrease in raw separations at the NWRH.
At the LGH, there were 32 995 raw separations in 2009-2010. Although previous years data is presented in the accompanying graph, comparisons between years should not be undertaken due to the introduction of a new patient administration system and changes in associated business processes at the site.
At the MCH, there were 8 358 raw separations in 2009-2010 (previous years data is unavailable, see explanatory note 1).
Weighted separations show the level and complexity of the work done in public hospitals by combining two measures: the number of times people come into hospital and how ill people are when they come into hospital.
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, compared to the same period in the previous year, there was:
• A 2.9 per cent increase in weighted separations at the RHH.
• A 3.8 per cent decrease in raw separations at the NWRH.
At the LGH , there were 30 609 weighted separations in 2009-2010. Although previous years data is presented in the accompanying graph, comparisons between years should not be undertaken due to the introduction of a new patient administration system and changes in associated business processes at the site.
At the MCH, there were 7 173 weighted separations in 2009-2010 (previous years data is unavailable, see explanatory note 1)
Figure 1: Admitted patients – number of raw separations (for the 12 months ending June)
Figure 2: Admitted patients – number of weighted separations (for the 12 months ending June)
42 4
35
35 0
24
44 8
59
35 3
39
8 33
3
45 0
59
36 8
1232
995
8 29
0
46 2
71
9 07
38
698
8 53
8
10 000
20 000
30 000
40 000
50 000
RHH LGH NWRH MCH(n
o.)
2007 2008 2009 2010
49 7
83
31 3
84
9 94
2
50 4
71
31 2
6932
176
30 6
09
10 3
70
50 9
9552
480
11 4
5611
024
7 17
3
10 000
20 000
30 000
40 000
50 000
60 000
RHH LGH NWRH MCH
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 4
How busy are our emergency departments?
An outpatient is a patient who is not hospitalised overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment and is not formally admitted as a patient.
The collection of outpatient data has been affected by the introduction of a new patient administration system at all hospital sites. As a consequence, current data remains unavailable at some sites.
Data for both the NWRH and the MCH is current as at 30 June 2010. In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, compared to the previous year, there was a 2.7 per cent decrease in the number of outpatient occasions of service at the NWRH. At the MCH there were 48 017 outpatient occasions of service in 2009-2010 (previous years data is unavailable, see explanatory note 1).
Data for the RHH is at 31 March 2010. In the nine months ending 31 March 2010, compared to the previous year, there was a 17.1 per cent increase in the number of outpatient occasions of service at the RHH.
Data for the LGH is at 30 September 2009. In the three months ending 30 September 2009, compared to the previous year, there was a 13.5 per cent increase in the number of occasions of service at the LGH.
Figure 3: Outpatient Department – occasions of service (for the NWRH and MCH for the 12 months ending
June, for the RHH for the nine months ending March, for the LGH for the three months ending September)
How many times have Tasmanians been treated in our outpatient clinics?
Emergency department services are provided at each of the State’s major public hospitals. Emergency departments (EDs) provide care for a range of illnesses and injuries, particularly those of a life-threatening nature. Growth in presentations reflects difficulty in accessing general practice services around Tasmania. This information shows the number of times that people presented at our EDs across the state.
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, compared to the same period in the previous year, there was:
• A 9.7 per cent increase in ED presentations at the RHH.
• A 15.5 per cent increase in ED presentations at the LGH.
• A 2.5 per cent increase in ED presentations at the NWRH.
• There were 25 830 presentations at the MCH (see explanatory note 1).
Figure 4: Emergency Department presentations (for the 12 months ending June)
356
935
70 0
27
77 7
49
80 4
74
67 5
54
68 5
00
373
681
78 4
81
402
884
454
438
77 5
5379
809
48 0
17100 000
200 000
300 000
400 000
500 000
RHH LGH NWRH MCH
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
5 00010 00015 00020 00025 00030 00035 00040 00045 00050 000
RHH LGH NWRH MCH
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
38 8
47
34 4
08
24 4
32
40 8
40
36 4
79
24 6
79
42 9
6547
128
37 2
11 42 9
94
25 3
7926
015
25 8
30
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 5
What percentage of patients is seen within recommended time frames in our emergency departments?
Australian Triage Scale Category 2 patients are those who require emergency treatment for very severe pain or imminently life-threatening or time-critical treatment. The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine has set a national benchmark of 80 per cent of Category 2 patients to be seen within 10 minutes.
In the 12 months to 30 June 2010, compared to the same period in the previous year there was:
• A decrease in the percentage of Category 2 patients seen on time at the RHH from 84.6 per cent to 80.1 per cent.
• A decrease in the percentage of Category 2 patients seen on time at the LGH from 62.1 per cent to 52.6 per cent. This is partly because at the LGH Category 2 presentations as a proportion of total presentations have increased (by 18 per cent compared to 15.5 per cent).
• A decrease in the percentage of Category 2 patients seen on time at the NWRH from 89.5 per cent to 88.8 per cent.
• 84 per cent of Category 2 patients seen on time at the MCH (see explanatory note 1).
Performance at the RHH, NWRH and MCH was better than the national benchmark of 80 per cent.
At the LGH measures are being implemented to improve patient flow and to reduce waiting times for more urgent cases. For example:
Figure 5: Patients who were seen within the recommended time frame for Emergency Department Australian Triage Scale Category 2 (for the 12 months ending June)
• The establishment of an Acute Medical Unit to reduce the amount of time patients spend in the ED and facilitate the rapid streaming of patients to the correct setting.
• The expansion of its fast track ED service which has seen improvements in dealing with overcrowding.
• Working with aged care providers, private hospitals and rural hospitals to provide improved step-down care to improve patient flows.
• Construction of a new ED which will significantly improve current capacity issues.
• Actively recruiting locums to help with staff shortages and seeking to fill all vacant positions.
RHH LGH NWRH MCH
(%)
20 10
40 30
6050
80 70
90 100
62.8
73.3 77
.2
76.7 84
.680
.1
65.3
83.5
62.1
52.6
89.5
88.8
84.0
2007 2008 2009 2010
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 6
How many people were admitted from the elective surgery waiting list?
Figure 6: Admissions from waiting list (for the 12 months ending June)
At the RHH, in the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, admissions from the waiting list remained steady compared to the same period in the previous year.
At the other hospitals, in the 12 months to June 2010, there was:
• A decrease of 1.9 per cent in admissions from the waiting list at the LGH. It should be noted, however, that the elective surgery figures for the LGH are sourced from the new patient administration system, IPM, and presently the data is being reviewed which may result in the recalculation of some of the data.
• A decrease of 12.6 per cent in admissions from the waiting list at the NWRH. This decrease was partly due to fact that during the last quarter of 2008-2009 operating and day surgery works were undertaken resulting in some disruptions to normal operating activity.
• There were 2 093 admissions from the waiting list at the MCH (see explanatory note 1).
Since November 2008, the Agency has delivered a broad range of initiatives which have significantly contributed to the increase in elective surgery admissions.
These include the allocation of $4.3 million to hospitals to improve patient flow, additional funding to treat long waiting cataract patients and reviews of the longest waiting patients. These initiatives have coalesced with the Australian Government’s Elective Surgery Waiting List Reduction Plan.
6 10
4
4 46
5
1 83
8
6 08
6
4 59
5
1 96
8
7 18
67
126
5 62
65
521
2 38
82
087
(No.
)1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
6 000
7 000
8 000
RHH LGH NWRH MCH
2007 2008 2009 2010
2 09
3This information shows the number of patients waiting for elective surgery who are ready to accept an offer of admission to hospital.
At the RHH, in the year to 30 June 2010, there was a decrease of 1.5 per cent in the waiting list.
At the other hospitals, over the same 12 months, there was:
• An increase of 6.2 per cent in the waiting list at the LGH.
• A decrease of 23 per cent in the waiting list at the NWRH.
• An increase of 6.7 per cent in the waiting list at the MCH.
The changes in waiting list numbers at hospitals at the NWRH can be partly attributed to the transfer of patients from the waiting list at the NWRH to the MCH.
Figure 7: Waiting List (as at 30 June)
What is the waiting list for elective surgery?
(no.
)
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
3 99
4
2 32
1
4 47
3
2 73
9
990 1
408
831
640
3 88
73
827
2 51
82
673
506
540
RHH LGH NWRH MCH
2007 2008 2009 2010
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 7
What is the usual time to wait for elective surgery?
Although the number of patients on the State’s waiting list has decreased, the key question for patients requiring surgery is not how many patients are on lists but how long they wait for their surgery.
The median waiting times for patients admitted for elective surgery have reduced significantly in recent months.
There were decreases in the median waiting times at the RHH, LGH and NWRH in the 12 months to 30 June 2010.
• At the RHH from 54 to 35 days.
• At the LGH from 45 to 39 days.
• At the NWRH from 53 to 40 days.
There was a median waiting time of 27 days at the MCH over the same period (see explanatory note 1).
Figure 8: Median waiting times for elective patients admitted from the waiting list (for the 12 months ending June)
(day
s)
10
20
30
40
50
60
40
49
38
43
32
4153
40
5435
4539
53
27
RHH LGH NWRH MCH
2007 2008 2009 2010
How many call outs has our Ambulance Service responded to?
An ambulance response occurs when a vehicle or vehicles are sent to a pre-hospital incident or accident. This measure for the total ambulance responses includes emergency, urgent and non-urgent responses. When compared to the same period in 2009, in the 12 months to June 2010 the total number of ambulance responses increased by 7.4 per cent.
There were increases in all of the main response categories. Emergency responses increased by 17.4 per cent, urgent responses remained steady and non-urgent decreased by 3.1 per cent.
Although the exact reasons for the increase in responses are not known a key contributing factor to the increased demand is the ageing of the population and the increased numbers of people with chronic illnesses who are cared for at home and who require emergency or urgent care and transport when their conditions become acute.
Figure 9: Total ambulance responses (for the 12 months ending June)
(no.
)
65 0
57
69 8
99
62 8
44
62 7
56
2007 2008 2009 2010
10 000
20 000
30 000
40 000
50 000
60 000
70 000
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 8
How many people access community palliative care services?
How quickly does our Ambulance Service respond to calls?
The Ambulance response time is the time difference between the time when a 000 call is received at an ambulance operations centre and when the ambulance arrives at the location to treat the sick or injured patient. The median response time is the time within which 50 per cent of emergency cases are responded to.
Median emergency response times for the more populated areas of Tasmania such as Hobart (10.2 minutes), Launceston (9.6 minutes), Devonport (8.6 minutes) and Burnie Somerset (9.1 minutes) were similar to many urban areas of other states and territories in 2009.
In the 12 months ending June 2010, there has been little change in the median response time when compared to the same period in the previous year despite a significant increase in demand for services.
Figure 10: Ambulance emergency response times (for the 12 months ending June)
(min
utes
)20102007 2008 2009
2
4
6
8
10
12
10.5
10.5 10
.9
11.0
This indicator provides a measure of the overall level of activity, which includes clients assessed and admitted to the community (non-inpatient) Palliative Care Service.
The number of clients accessing the service remained steady for the 12 months to 30 June 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.
All indications are that this trend will continue, which emphasises the need to maintain services at their current level.
Figure 11: Palliative Care – clients accessing the service (for the 12 months ending June)
(no.
)
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
2007 2008 2009 2010
5 05
63
924 4
511
4 47
2
4 42
0
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 9
This is a measure of the number of eligible women screened for breast cancer. Although the target population is all Tasmanian women aged between 50 and 69 years, all women aged over 40 years are eligible for screening services. Screening for breast cancer amongst the eligible population occurs every two years for individual women. Service performance is therefore best measured by comparing the screening numbers for any given period with the equivalent period two years earlier.
Despite ongoing difficulty in recruiting radiologists and radiographers, the number of women screened in the 12 months to June 2010 has increased by 9.8 per cent compared to the same screening cohort for the same period in 2007-2008. Increasing the number of women screened for breast cancer is necessary to keep pace with growth in the eligible population.
Figure 12: Eligible women screened for breast cancer (for the 12 months ending June)
The Service continues to actively address workforce shortages with the recruitment and utilisation of locum radiographers and interstate radiology reading services.
How many women are screened for breast cancer?
(no.
)
5 000
10 000
15 000
20 000
30 000
2007 2008 2009 2010
23 9
76
24 9
10
25 3
71
27 3
52
This indicator shows the number of occasions of service for all dental services (episodic care, general care and prosthetics) provided around the State. It should be noted that outsourced general care provided by the Private Sector is excluded from these figures.
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, compared to the same period in the previous year, there was:
• A 4.1 per cent increase in the number of general occasions of service.
• A 1.6 per cent increase in the number of episodic occasions of service.
• A 16.5 per cent increase in the number of prosthetics occasions of service.
Variations in levels of activity reflect fluctuating numbers within the public sector dental workforce. A range of recruitment and retention strategies are in place to increase and sustain clinician numbers.
Figure 13: Adults – occasions of service (for the 12 months ending June)
How many dental appointments have adults accessed?
(no.
)
5 000
10 000
15 000
20 000
25 000
General Episodic Prosthetics
2007 2008 2009 2010
4 79
2
6 34
2
16 4
75
8 08
0
5 02
4
19 8
30
8 47
9
4 44
0
4 62
4
21 8
77
22 2
33
9 87
9
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 10
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010 there was a 1.5 per cent increase in the occasions of service for children receiving dental care compared to the same period in the previous year.
Dental care for children is provided by dental therapists. An ageing workforce and a growing national shortage of dental therapists are likely to continue to affect oral health services into the future.
Through the Partners in Health collaboration with the University of Tasmania, the Department is actively exploring education and training options for the oral health workforce.
Figure 14: Children – occasions of service (for the 12 months ending June)
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
20 000
40 000
60 000
80 000
73 2
41
63 1
68
64 2
24
65 1
62
How many dental appointments have children accessed?
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 11
Figure 15: Dentures – waiting list (as at 30 June)The dentures waiting list indicator provides a measure of the number of people waiting for upper and/or lower dentures.
In the year to 30 June 2010 there has been a significant 26.3 per cent decrease in the dentures waiting list compared to the same period in the previous year. This follows the provision of additional resources to purchase services from the private sector and increase internal capacity to address denture demand. Waiting list growth up to 2009 reflects increased demand following the purchase of additional general care services from the private sector.
Figure 16: General care (adults) – waiting list (as at 30 June)
The general care (adults) waiting list indicator shows the number of adults waiting for general care oral health services.
In the year to 30 June 2010 there has been a 13.9 per cent increase in the general care waiting list, compared to the same period in the previous year.
Despite this increase, the purchase of services from the private sector has seen a decrease in the median waiting time meaning that clients on the waiting list receive more timely care.
What are the waiting lists for oral health services?
(no.
)2007 2008 2009 2010
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
389
1 01
6
2 27
2
1 67
5
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
2 000
4 000
6 000
8 000
10 000
8 56
3
8 33
0
8 47
9
9 65
9
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 12
This indicator reports the total number of mental health inpatient separations across the State. An inpatient separation refers to an episode of patient care in an acute mental health facility for a patient who has been admitted and who is now discharged. A separation therefore represents each individual episode of care in a given period.
In the 12 months to June 2010, the number of people recorded as being treated in acute settings increased by 2.6 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year. The recording of inpatient separation data has increased due to improved data collection and reporting procedures.
In 2007, a new model of care was introduced for adults aimed specifically at helping people with
Figure 17: Mental Health Services – inpatient separations (for the 12 months ending June)
What is the activity rate in our mental health acute facilities?
How many episodes of care does Mental Health Services provide?
This indicator measures the number of community and residential clients under the care of Mental Health Services. Active community clients are people who live in local communities who are actively accessing services provided by community-based Mental Health Services teams. Active residential clients are people residing in residential care provided by Mental Health Services and receiving clinical care from residential service teams.
In the 12 months to June 2010, the number of community and residential clients decreased by 3.1 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year.
In part, this is attributable to an audit of active clients which has led to many patients who had been discharged being removed from the database of active clients.
The longer term decrease from 2006 can be attributed to:
• The introduction of a new model of care in October 2006 which led to changes in data collection methods, resulting in an apparent reduction in overall client numbers.
• Since November 2006, potential clients have been able to more readily access Medicare subsidised primary care mental health services in the private sector from GPs, psychologists and psychiatrists. This may also have contributed to the decrease.
Figure 18: Mental Health Services – community and residential – active clients (for the 12 months ending June)
2 38
1
2 16
5
1964
2015
(no.
)2007 2008 2009 2010
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
6 000
7 000
6 17
7
5 67
1
4 25
5
4 12
4
serious mental illness to remain in the community and therefore reduce the need for services within an acute setting.
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 13
What is the rate of readmissions to acute mental health facilities?
Figure 19: 28-Day readmission rate – all hospitals (as at 30 June) This shows the percentage of people whose
readmission to an acute psychiatric inpatient unit within 28 days of discharge was unplanned or unexpected. This could be due to a relapse or a complication resulting from the illness for which the patient was initially admitted.
For people who experience mental illness, and particularly those who require acute mental health care, the episodic nature of their condition generally means that they are likely to require further treatment.
This indicator is a percentage calculated on relatively small numbers and as such, is susceptible to large fluctuations.
As at 30 June 2010 the re-admission rate was 12 per cent, compared to eight per cent at the same time in 2009.
(%)
2005 2006 2007 2008
12
8
18
5
10
15
20
14
2007 2008 2009 2010
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 14
Figure 20: Number of applicants housed (for the 12 months ending June)
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, 3 984 households received financial assistance through the Private Rental Support Scheme (PRSS), representing a 6.7 per cent increase from the same period in the previous year. A further 6 203 households received non-financial assistance such as advocacy, referrals, budgeting or information, as their primary form of assistance.
While the number of affordable private rental options for low-income renters remains relatively low, PRSS providers report that increased numbers of clients are finding homes, hence the increase in households receiving financial assistance.
Figure 21: Number of households assisted through the private rental support scheme (for the 12 months ending June)
How many people receive private rental assistance?
This information shows the number of people who have been allocated public housing.
A significant increase in property values in Tasmania over recent years has created higher costs for private rental and home ownership and fewer affordable accommodation options for people on low incomes.
How many people have been housed?
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
200
400
600
800
1 000
1 200
1 14
6
1 01
0
883
918
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
5001 000
1 5002 000
2 5003 000
3 5004 000
3 95
9
3 85
9
3 73
4 3 98
4
This has meant that people are remaining in public housing for longer periods, with occupancy rates remaining consistently higher than those in the private sector. Despite this, the number of people housed in the 12 months ending 30 June 2010 increased by four per cent compared to the same period last year.
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 15
What are the waiting lists for public housing?
This indicator measures the total number of people who were waiting for public housing as at 30 June.
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, there was a 4.6 per cent increase in the waiting list for public housing compared to the same period in the previous year.
.
Figure 22: Number of applicants on waitlist (as at 30 June)
This indicates how long it takes to house applicants with priority housing needs. The identification of priority applicants involves an assessment of need based on adequacy, affordability and appropriateness of housing. Category 1 is the highest level of need.
In the 12 months to June 2010, the average time to house Category 1 applicants was 21 weeks, the same as in the previous year.
The capacity to house priority applicants quickly is contingent upon the availability of homes that meet household amenity and locational needs. In an environment where private rental properties are becoming increasingly unaffordable for low income earners, fewer public housing tenants are leaving for private rentals resulting in very high occupancy rates. The shortage of vacancies also makes it difficult to match the increasingly complex needs of applicant households to available homes, especially in relation to applicants with special needs.
While there is no national comparison available for time to house Category 1 applicants (as jurisdictions
Figure 23: Average time to house Category 1 applicants (for the 12 months ending June)
What is the usual wait for people with priority housing needs?
determine priority allocations according to their own policies), Tasmania performs exceptionally well in regard to housing people in greatest need when compared to other states and territories.
(no.
)2007 2008 2009 2010
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
2 62
5
2 73
3 3 17
9
3 03
9
(wee
ks)
2007 2008 2009 2010
4
8
12
16
20
25
1814
21 21
16
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 16
How many child protection cases are referred for investigation?
The newly implemented Gateway, Integrated Family Support Services and other reform initiatives have directed a greater focus on intervening earlier with family services and better integrating the delivery of child protection and family support services.
In the 12 months ending 30 June 2010, there has been a 25.4 per cent decrease in the number of notifications referred for investigation compared to the same period in the previous year.
This decrease may be attributable to changes in referral patterns since the implementation of early intervention services including Gateway and as such it is likely the diversion of non-statutory concerns is being effective.
Figure 24: Number of notifications referred to service centres for further investigation (for the 12 months ending June)
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5000
4 63
2
3 26
0
2 42
4
1 83
3
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 17
In the year to 30 June 2010, there was a 10.9 per cent increase in the number of children in out-of-home care compared to the same period in the previous year.
All states and territories have experienced an upward trend in the number of children in care since 2005. The rise can be partly explained by the tendency for children admitted to care to remain in care. Factors such as low family income, parental substance abuse, mental health issues and family violence, tend to lengthen the time these children remain in care.
As part of the overall commitment of DHHS to the health and wellbeing of all children in Tasmania, the recent project to redesign the Tasmanian family support service system is expected to improve early intervention and support. While the Agency remains committed to providing safe placements for children affected by abuse and neglect, improved early intervention and support is expected to effect an overall reduction in the number of children in out-of-home care although periodic increases may still be observed
How many child protection notifications are not allocated within established time frames?
This refers to the number of notifications of child abuse and neglect received by DHHS that are not allocated for investigation within established time frames.
As at 30 June 2010, there were zero unallocated cases. This is the culmination of significant efforts over the last three years to better manage cases.
This reduction has been achieved as a result of a number of improvements including the introduction of a new operating model and information system in February 2008. The recent introduction of a more comprehensive Child Protection Information System is likely to further improve responsiveness to demand for Child Protection Services generally.
Figure 25: Child abuse or neglect: number of unallocated cases (as at 30 June)
Figure 26: Children in out-of-home care (as at 30 June)
How many children are placed in out-of-home care?
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
200
400
600
800
900
668
662
808
896
900
66 26 0
(no.
)2007 2008 2009 2010
200
400
600
800
1000
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 18
This shows the number of people with a disability who are waiting for a full-time or part time community access (formerly referred to as day options) placement. Community access services provide activities which promote learning and skill development and enable access, participation and integration in the local community.
Community access waiting list numbers provide a broad indication of unmet demand for people with a disability in Tasmania.
At 30 June 2010, there was a 27 per cent increase in the waiting list for community access services compared to the same period in the previous year.
The number of people on the waiting list can be volatile as is shown by the point in time comparative values show in Figure 28.
When funding packages for community access services are rolled out the waiting list can decrease significantly. However there can be fluctuations due to factors such as increased promotion of disability services within the community. Recently the waiting list has been offset by an increase in applications received in anticipation of reform implementation.
What are the waiting lists for people requiring supported accommodation?
This indicator shows the number of people with a disability waiting for a supported accommodation placement. Supported accommodation services provide assistance for people with a disability within a range of accommodation options, including smaller and larger residential care settings, hostels and group homes. These figures are a ‘snapshot’ of a single point in time and therefore vary considerably.
In addition to providing support for daily living these services promote access, participation and integration into the local community. Supported accommodation is provided by community-based organisations that are funded by the State Government.
At 30 June 2010, there was a 24.2 per cent increase in the supported accommodation waiting list compared to the same period in the previous year.
Figure 27: Disability Services – supported accommodation – waiting list (as at 30 June)
Figure 28: Disability Services – community access clients – waiting list (as at 30 June)
These variations will continue to be observed in an environment where the number of people who may require a service exceeds service system capacity.
34
39
41
33(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
10
20
30
40
45
(no.
)
2007 2008 2009 2010
25
50
75
100
125
107 12
3
74
94
What is the waiting list for community access clients?
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 19
1. For the Mersey Community Hospital (with the exception of elective surgery waiting lists), comparative data for previous years is unavailable. This is because the Tasmanian Government only resumed management of the hospital on 1 September 2008.
2. It should be noted that the indicator unplanned readmissions within 28 days for hospitals has been removed from this edition. During October 2009, a changed methodology for measuring this indicator was introduced. However changes to data collection processes within the hospitals has resulted in the current statistics not being comparable with previously published figures. A nationally agreed methodology for this indicator is currently being negotiated under the new National Healthcare Agreement.
3. The following acronyms are used in this report:
a. ED Emergency Department
b. LGH Launceston General Hospital
c. NWRH North West Regional Hospital
d. RHH Royal Hobart Hospital
e. MCH Mersey Community Hospital
Explanatory notes
Your Health and Human Services: Progress Chart August 2010 20
CONTACT
Depar tment of Health
and Human Services
GPO Box 125
Hobar t TAS 7001
1300 135 513
www.dhhs.tas.gov.au
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