Over 636,000 consultant episodes recorded in hospital acute care
Date published:
New official statistics published today by statisticians in the Department of Health present the Northern Ireland acute episode-based activity statistics for the 2024/25 financial year.
The purpose of this publication is to complement data contained in the Northern Ireland hospital statistics: inpatient and day case activity (2024/25) publication.
Key findings
- There were 636,338 finished consultant episodes (FCEs) in Northern Ireland hospitals within the acute programme of care in 2024/25, a decrease of 0.6% on the previous year.
- Almost a third (31.2%) of episodes were for day case treatment, with day case episodes increasing by 93.1% over the last five years.
- The average length of an inpatient episode was 3.8 days, up from 3.2 days in 2020/21.
- Chronic kidney disease was the most frequently recorded primary diagnosis, accounting for 77,366 episodes (12.2%).
- Episodes where influenza or pneumonia was the primary diagnosis rose by 81.5% compared to 2020/21.
- Hip procedures increased by 86.3% over five years, from 1,538 to 2,866 episodes.
- Cancer-related episodes decreased by 10.3% compared to 2023/24 but remain 20.0% higher than 2020/21.
About the publication
The full report provides detailed analysis of hospital activity based on finished consultant episodes within the acute programme of care. It includes breakdowns by specialty, diagnosis, procedure and healthcare resource group. The publication complements the Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity publication and enables comparison with equivalent Hospital Episode Statistics published in England.
Users should note that comparisons with earlier years, particularly 2020/21, are influenced by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on hospital services.
Further information
Read the full report: Northern Ireland Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics for 2024/25
View background information and data tables: Episode based activity