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Data set notes

European Health for All database

Indicators: 565

Updated: 18 October 2024

Contact: Data and Digital Health Unit (DDH)

The following abbreviations are used in the indicator titles:

• SDR: age-standardized death rates (see HFA-DB user manual/Technical notes, page 13, for details)

• FTE: full-time equivalent

• PP: physical persons

• PPP$: purchasing power parities expressed in US $, an internationally comparable scale reflecting the relative domestic purchasing powers of currencies.

More information: http://www.euro.who.int/en/data-and-evidence/databases/european-health-for-all-database-hfa-db

Indicator notes

Number of acute (short-stay) hospitals
Indicator code: E992760.T

General hospitals (System of Health Accounts 1.0, HP.1.1) comprise licensed establishments primarily engaged in providing diagnostic and medical treatment (both surgical and non-surgical) to in-patients with a wide variety of medical conditions. These establishments may provide other services, such as out-patient services, anatomical pathology services, diagnostic X-ray services, clinical laboratory services, operating room services for a variety of procedures, and pharmacy services (see SHA 1.0 Manual).

Inclusion - General acute care hospitals - Community, county, and regional hospitals (other than speciality hospitals) - Hospitals of private non-profit-organisations (e.g. Red Cross) (other than speciality hospitals) - Teaching hospitals; university hospitals (other than speciality hospitals) - Army, veterans, and police hospitals (other than speciality hospitals) - Prison hospitals Note: System of Health Accounts 1.0 is available from http://www.oecd.org/health/healthpoliciesanddata/1841456.pdf._

Country/Area notes

Austria

Source of data: Austrian Federal Ministry of Health, Hospital Statistics.
Reference period: 31st December.
Coverage:
- Complete (HP.1.1).
- Excludes army, police and prison hospitals (these are included in HP.1.3).

Belarus

Note: Data not available.

Belgium

Source of data: Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment.
Coverage: Data exclude specialty hospitals, mental health and substance abuse hospitals.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Source: Public Health Institute FB&H, Hospital service in FB&H, Public Health Institute Republica
Srpska, Hospital service in Republica Srpska.

Bulgaria

Source of data: National Statistical Institute, Exhaustive annual survey
Reference period: 31st December
Coverage: All general hospitals (HP.1.1) are included.

Croatia

Source of data: Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Hospital structure and function
database
Coverage:
Prison hospital not included.
Reorganization process of Croatian health system resulted in significant changes in number of health
institutions - some were closed or reorganized which caused significant decrease in number of
hospitals and general hospitals in 1994.
Starting from 2009 data do not include community care centres providing both in-patient and
out-patient services primarily engaged in out-patient services.
Break in time series: 2009.

Cyprus

Source of data: Statistical Service of Cyprus, Public sector administrative sources and Private
Clinics Inspectors for the Private Sector.
Validity of the source: Regarding the private sector, all medical institutions have been included
irrespectively if they refer to general hospitals or speciality hospitals. Unfortunately no
information is available in order to distinguish between general and speciality hospitals.
Reference period: 31st December.
Coverage: Public and Private Sectors. Not-for-profit privately owned hospitals have not been
counted.

Czechia

Czech Republic

Source of data: Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic. Registry of
Health Establishments.
Reference period: 31st December.
Coverage: University hospitals and acute care hospitals.

Denmark

Data not available.

Estonia

Source of data:
- Since 1.01.2008 National Institute for Health Development, Department of Health Statistics.
- Data from routinely collected health care statistics submitted by health care providers (monthly
statistical report \Hospital beds and hospitalisation\") and from the Registry of Health Board
(in-patient care licences).
Reference period: 31st of December.
Coverage:
- All hospitals HP.1.1 (public and private sector) are included.
- 1980 and 1985-1989 include only data from the former system of the Ministry of Health. Hospitals
providing only psychiatric

Finland

Source of data: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Care Register for Institutional
Health Care.
Coverage: All hospitals.
Break in time series: 2000. The series was recalculated from 2000 onwards to correspond to the SHA
2011 definitions.

France

Source of data: Ministere de la Sante et des Sports - Direction de la Recherche, des Etudes, de
l'Evaluation et des Statistiques (DREES). Data are from the ?Statistique Annuelle des Etablissements
de sante (SAE)?.
Reference period: 31st December.
Coverage:
- Data refer to metropolitan France and D.O.M. (overseas departments).
- Data from 2000 include only hospitals with capacities for complete or partial hospitalisation
(which differs from conventions used in the previous years). For the public sector, it is the legal
entities that are taken into account (there can be several geographical establishments); for the
private sector, it is geographical establishments.

Georgia

Source of data: Data are based on annual statistical reports collected from health establishments to
the Ministry of Health and include both, public and private sectors
Reference period: 31 December.
Coverage: The provided data cover all regions except separatist regions, Abkhazia and South Osetia.
Data for those two regions are unavailable.

Germany

Germany

Source of data: Federal Statistical Office, Hospital statistics (basic data of hospitals);
Statistisches Bundesamt, Fachserie 12, Reihe 6.1.1, table 2.2.1; http://www.destatis.de or
http://www.gbe-bund.de.
Reference period: 31st December.
Coverage:
- The number of general hospitals (HP1.1) comprises general hospitals in all sectors (public,
not-for-profit and private).
- Mental health hospitals, prevention and rehabilitation facilities and long-term nursing care
facilities are excluded.

Greece

Source of data: Hellenic Statistical Authority (EL.STAT.).
Reference period: 31st of December.
Coverage: Number of acute care (short-stay) hospitals (excluding psychiatric hospitals, tuberculosis
and geriatric or nursing hospitals).

Hungary

Source of data: From 1994 Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund (OEP), Department of Financing
Informatics (GYOGYINFOK), Hospital bed and patient turnover account. http://www.gyogyinfok.hu/.
Coverage: Hospitals under contract with the National Health Insurance Fund, except for psychiatric
hospitals, alcohol and drug detoxification hospitals (HP.1.2) and specialist hospitals (HP.1.3).

Iceland

Source of data:
- Up to 2006: The Directorate of Health.
- From 2007: The Ministry of Welfare.
Coverage:
- Up to 2006, all hospitals with an average length of stay of 30 days or less. Rehabilitation
institutions (2) and an alcoholic treatment centre are excluded.
- From 2007: Hospitals refer to health care facilities with 24-hour access to a hospital physician.
Break in time series: 2007.

Ireland

Source of data: Department of Health and Children.
Coverage: Since 2009, figures refer to HP1.1 hospitals, both public and private. Data are comprised
of general (acute) hospitals only and exclude specialty hospitals such as paediatric, maternity and
orthopaedic hospitals.
Break in time series: Up to and including 1996, figures refer to publicly funded acute hospitals
where the average length of stay is 18 days or less. From 1997 on figures refer to Health Service
Executive network hospitals only. Private hospitals are not included in the years preceding 2008.

Israel

Israel

Source of data: The data are based on the Medical Institutions License Registry maintained by the
Department of Medical Facilities and Equipment Licensing and the Health Information Division in the
Ministry of Health.
Reference period: End of the year.
Coverage: Includes all acute care hospitals.
* Note: The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant
Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the
Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of
international law.

Italy

Source of data: Ministry of Health - D.G. of Health Information System - Office of Statistics.
Coverage:
- Since 2004 data refer to public and private hospitals, including private hospitals not accredited
by the National Health Service. The previous definition has been modified in order to make this
indicator coherent with the hospital discharge indicators referring to all hospitals, both public
and private.
- Since 2008, data do not include hospitals exclusively dedicated to rehabilitative care.
Break in time series: 2004, 2008.

Latvia

Source of data: The Centre of Health Economics;
Reference period: 31 December.
Starting with 2000 optimization of heath care service providers was gradually started. As the result
of this the number of hospitals was reduced by either merging hospitals or closing them down. Also
number of beds in hospitals diminished. State and local government institutions were the ones
witnessing the changes most of all. This process continues also now ? new type of hospitals has been
formed -?care hospitals?, but there is no clear definition setting where this type of hospitals
should be included according to Health provider (HP) classification. Currently these hospitals are
included in General hospitals group.
Break in series: 2000.

Lithuania

Source of data: Health Information Centre of Institute of Hygiene, data of entire annual survey of
health establishments. Report ?Health Statistics of Lithuania?, available from
http://sic.hi.lt/html/en/hsl.htm.
Reference period: 31st December
Coverage: All hospitals excluding tuberculosis, rehabilitation, psychiatric and substance abuse,
nursing hospitals.
Break in series: 1997. In 1997-1998 part of the small rural hospitals was closed, biggest part was
reorganized into nursing hospitals. Nursing hospitals are providing long-term nursing care and
belong to nursing and residential care facilities. As the number of beds in rural hospitals was
quite small the changes in number of hospital beds were insignificant.

Luxembourg

Source of data: Rapport general de l?Inspection Generale de la Securite Sociale.

Malta

Source of data: Data collated at Department of Health Information and Research from Department of
Health Care Standards and Services within Ministry of Health and from establishments themselves.
Coverage: During the year 2011 one of the privately owned hospitals has terminated its operations.

Montenegro

Source of data: The source for all data submitted is the Institute of Public Health. Some additional
information can be found in Health Statistical Yearbooks available at http://www.ijzcg.me/
Reference period: December 31st.
Coverage: Only hospitals from the public sector are included.

Netherlands

Source of data: Statistics Netherlands.
- 1987-2002: Survey;
- 2002-2005: Prismant survey;
- 2006 onwards: Annual reports social account.
Coverage: Refers to organisations, not locations.

North Macedonia

Source of data: Institute for Public Health-Skopje. Report for hospitals (3-21-60).
Reference period: 31st December.

Norway

Source of data: Statistics Norway. Business register/Statistics on Specialist Health Services.
Annual data collection. See http://www.ssb.no/speshelse_en/.
Reference period: Annual average.
Coverage: The figures cover all hospitals (HP.1).

Poland

Source of data: The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of
Interior and Administration. Central Statistical Office gathers data from ministries and publishes.
Reference period: 31st December.
Coverage:
- All general hospitals (supervised by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Defence and
the Ministry of Interior and Administration). In Poland the category of general hospitals comprises
regional hospitals (i.e. voivod hospitals and poviats hospitals) and also specialty hospitals.
- Prison hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and health resort hospitals are excluded.

Portugal

Source of data: Statistics Portugal - Hospital Survey.
Reference period: 31st December.
Coverage:
- The Hospital Survey began in 1985. This survey covers the whole range of hospitals acting in
Portugal: hospitals managed by the National Health Service (public hospitals with universal access),
non-public state hospitals (military and prison) and private hospitals.

Republic of Moldova

Source of data: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, National Centre for Health
Management, Annual statistical report N30, enclosure 1 ?On hospital activities of health care
institutions?, http://cnms.md/areas/statistics/anyar/.
Reference period: Data as of December 31.
Coverage: Data exclude Transnistria.

Romania

Source of data: Ministry of Public Health.
Reference period: data as of 31st December.
Coverage: General hospitals were classified according to Law No. 95/2006 on Health Reform regulates
the entire health system.

Serbia

Source of data: Institute of Public Health of Serbia, National hospital register.
http://www.batut.org.rs/
Reference period: 31st December
Coverage: Data for Kosovo-Metohija province are not included in the coverage of data for the
Republic of Serbia. Data from health institutions under the other ministries (military services,
prisons, social services) than the Ministry of Health are not included. Data for privately owned
hospitals are not included.

Slovakia

Source of data: National Health Information Center. Annual report (MZ SR) on network of health care
providers in 2005 - 2010 in SR.
Reference period: 31 December.
Coverage:
- Hospitals are counted according to the recommendations and definitions following the SHA version
1.0.
- Hospitals in the Slovak Republic (general hospitals in territory of Slovak Republic).
Break in time series: Break in 2005 is due to change in a statistical finding in accordance with Act
No 578/2004 on health care providers. Time series revised in accordance with final agreement on
classification in Slovak Republic.

Slovenia

Source of data: The National Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia.ÿÿÿ
Reference period: 31st December.

Spain

Source of data:
- Before 1996: National Statistics Institute and Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. Statistics
on Health Establishments Providing Inpatient Care (available hospitals).
http://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do?type=pcaxis&path=/t15/p123&file=inebase&L=0.
- From 1996 to 2009: Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equity from Statistics on Health
Establishments Providing Inpatient Care (ESCRI).
http://www.msssi.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/estHospiInternado/inforAnual/homeESCRI.htm.
- Since 2010: Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equity from Specialised Care Information
System (Sistema de Informacion de Atencion Especializada - SIAE).
Coverage:
- Number of available general hospitals plus other available hospitals with an average length of
stay of 30 days or less.
- All public and private hospitals in Spain are included.

Sweden

Source of data: Federation of County Councils (data for 1980-2003).
Coverage: There is no distinction made in Sweden between hospitals and acute care (short-stay)
hospitals.
Note: From 2004 there is no information on how many hospitals there are in Sweden. There is no
consistent definition of what a hospital is.

Switzerland

Source of data:
Since 1997: FSO Federal Statistical Office, Neuchatel, hospital statistics; yearly census.
Until 1996: Data from the Hospital Association (H+), Bern.
Break in time series: Hospital statistics have been revised (data year 2010); new delimitation of
hospital entities and elimination of artificial double counting for some hospitals (e.g. because of
multiple activity).

Türkiye

Source of data:
- From 2000 onwards: General Directorate for Health Services, Ministry of Health.
- Up to 1999: Health Statistics Yearbook - Ministry of Health.
Coverage: Total number of general hospitals in the MoH, universities, the private sector and others
are included.
- MoD not included.

United Kingdom

Data not available.