Indicator: National Health Performance Authority, Hospital Performance: Total National Weighted Activity Unit, 2011-12

Total National Weighted Activity Units (NWAU), developed by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA), measures total hospital activity using a common unit of activity, termed NWAU.

For the specification of this indicator see;

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Cost per NWAU, developed by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA), measures the costs incurred against a common unit of activity termed NWAU. The NWAU is the unit for counting activity used in the nationally consistent Activity Based Funding system introduced under the National Health Reform Agreement 2011 (NHRA).

The 'average' hospital service is funded by one NWAU. More intensive and expensive activities are funded by multiples of NWAUs, and simpler and less expensive activities are funded by fractions of an NWAU.

There are four funding streams:

• Emergency department (ED)
• Acute admitted
• Subacute
• Non-admitted.

The Cost per NWAU measure excludes patients whose services are not eligible for funding under the NHRA, such as patients funded by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), private sources (self-funded, privately insured) or motor vehicle accident insurance.

This indicator compares the Cost per NWAU for acute admitted patient's and does not include ED costs associated with each patients' admission.