Utilisation of private hospital beds in Auckland for long term geriatric care

A cross-sectional survey at 25 February 1985 was conducted to determine the utilisation of beds in Auckland's private hospitals. Fifty-three licensed private hospitals accepted patients under the geriatric hospital special assistance scheme (GHSAS). Eighty point eight percent of all patients were receiving public subsidies additional to the universal Department of Health benefit. Ninety-five percent of patients were aged 65 years or more and receiving long term care; of these nearly all had been assessed by a geriatrician and 81.5% were subsidised by the GHSAS. The actual proportion of elderly receiving long term hospital care in Auckland, at 23.3/1000 aged 65 years and over, corresponded closely to newly proposed national guidelines; a previously unrecognised use of private beds for psychogeriatric patients was demonstrated.