The cost of patient care at Shoalhaven Hospital is the third highest among the nation's major regional hospitals, according to a new independent report.
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The first national comparison of hospital costs ever undertaken revealed that the average hospital service at Shoalhaven in 2011-12 cost $4700 - more than $1000 higher than the hospital with the lowest costs in that category (Victoria's Latrobe Hospital).
Wollongong and Shellharbour hospitals' patient care costs were more on par with comparable hospitals, according to the National Health Performance Authority (NHPA) report released on Thursday.
The cost of patient care at Wollongong - classified as a top major metropolitan hospital - was $4300 in 2011-12.
The highest cost in that peer group was $5800 at Canberra Hospital, while Maroondah Hospital in Victoria had the lowest average cost at $3100.
Shellharbour Hospital's costs were among the lowest of large metropolitan hospitals - an average of $4300 compared to WA's Rockingham Hospital's high of $6400 and Sandringham Hospital in Victoria's low of $3200.
The NHPA report compared the costs of caring for acute admitted patients at more than 80 of the nation's largest public hospitals.
The total value of costs examined in the report accounted for more than 60 per cent - or more than $16 billion - of the $26 billion spent nationally on acute admitted and emergency department patients in 2011-12.
NHPA CEO Dr Diane Watson said the figures were a good insight into the relative efficiency of hospitals, although higher or lower costs were no reflection on whether a hospital delivered better or worse care or patient outcomes.
"It is up to each hospital to see how they compare with those that are similar and use this new information as a starting point to learn more about their efficiencies," Dr Watson said.
The report also found large variations between hospitals in the costs for a range of common conditions and procedures - although costings were not available for individual hospitals.
However it revealed that some surgical costs could be almost three times higher in some hospital than others.
For instance the cost of appendix removal ranged from $4600 to $10,100 among major metro hospitals, and $4300 to $9300 among major regionals.
Knee replacement costs range from $10,600 to $29,300 in metro hospitals; or from $10,700 to $22,600 in regional hospitals.
lwachsmuth@illawarramercury.com.au