Reason for removal from an elective surgery waiting list code N

Guide for use:

CODE 1 Admitted as an elective patient for awaited procedure by or on behalf of this hospital or the state/territory

Patients undergoing the awaited procedure whilst admitted for another reason are to be coded this code.

CODE 2 Admitted as an emergency patient for awaited procedure by or on behalf of this hospital or the state/territory

This code identifies patients who were admitted ahead of their normal position in the queue because the condition requiring treatment deteriorated whilst waiting. Admission as an emergency patient could also be due to other causes such as inappropriate urgency rating, delays in the system, or unpredicted biological variation.

CODES 3 - 5

CODE 3 Could not be contacted (includes patients who have died while waiting, whether or not the cause of death was related to the condition requiring treatment)

CODE 4 Treated elsewhere for awaited procedure, but not on behalf of this hospital or the state/territory

This code would be used where surgery was undertaken other than by or on behalf of this hospital or the state/territory; for example, the patient has accessed surgery as a private patient in a private hospital.

CODE 5 Surgery not required or declined

These codes provide an indication of the amount of clerical audit of the waiting lists. Code 4 gives an indication of patients treated other than as a patient of the hospital's waiting list. The awaited procedure may have been performed as an emergency or as an elective procedure.

CODE 6 Transferred to another hospital's waiting list

This code identifies patients who were transferred from one hospital's elective surgery waiting list to that of another hospital. The waiting time on the waiting lists at the initial hospital and subsequent hospitals should be combined for national reporting.

CODE 9 Not known

This code identifies patients removed from the waiting list for reasons unknown.