Canberra Hospital is the most expensive major hospital in the country, a report released on Thursday has revealed, which suggests it is also among the country's most financially inefficient.
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The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report compared the average cost of care per patient across the country, finding large differences across different Australian hospitals.
The report, Costs of acute admitted patients in public hospitals from 2012–13 to 2014–15, looked at the cost of providing similar treatment to patients, across comparable public hospitals.
Both Canberra's public hospitals, The Canberra Hospital and Calvary Public Hospital, were among the most expensive in the country in their respective peer groups.
An ACT Health spokeswoman said while the report provided some good insights, the government anticipated future national reports to show improved figures.
She said the government's preliminary figures for 2015-16 and 2016-17 showed the average costs had been reducing.
The spokeswoman could not immediately provide the preliminary figures.
The average cost of care for patients in 2014-15 ranged from $3300 to $6400 in different hospitals.
At major public hospitals, the average cost to treat acute admitted patients was $4680.
Canberra Hospital - classified as a major hospital - was the nation's most expensive at $6000, therefore seen as less efficient.
The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne was the most efficient major hospital in the country with an average cost of $3900 per patient.
Between 2012–13 to 2014–15, The Canberra Hospital was unable to cut its costs, maintaining an average cost of $6000.
It did, however, stem a spike in costs in 2013-14 when the average cost jumped to $6400.
Calvary Public Hospital was also among the biggest spender per patient in its peer group category of large metropolitan hospitals, with the average patient bill in 2014-15 coming in at $6000.
Its average patient spend has increased by $200 since 2012-13.
Four of the five major public hospitals with the lowest costs were located in Victoria: the Alfred, Monash Medical Centre, University Hospital Geelong, and St Vincent’s Hospital, with the remaining hospital—Nepean Hospital—located in New South Wales.
The five hospitals with the highest costs were located across Australia: Canberra Hospital, Royal Perth Wellington St Campus (WA), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (WA), Princess Alexandra Hospital (Qld), and Royal Adelaide Hospital (SA).
The methods used in this report also accounted for key differences in the type of services provided to patients and the complexity of a patient’s condition.
It did not, however, include information about the quality of care or patient outcomes so are only an indirect measure of hospital efficiency.
The institute's spokesman Dr Adrian Webster said the report was a way of better understanding the nation's hospital system.
"The report also helps build a picture of costs over time, so we can develop a long-term evidence base to inform policies aimed at improving the efficiency and sustainability of our health system," he said.
The health spokeswoman said ACT's hospitals had become more efficient in recent years which was yet to be published in national reports.
"ACT Health’s preliminary figures for 2016-17 show average costs have reduced by around 10 per cent, and we anticipate future national reports that will be released in early 2019, will further demonstrate this reduction," she said.
"ACT Health is always looking for ways to improve the health system and gain maximum benefit for our health dollars for the community.
"With the separation to two organisations, Canberra Health Services and ACT Health will continue to focus on this."
