Establishments are classified into 10 major types subdivided into major groups:

• residential establishments (R)
• non-residential establishments (N)

CODE R1     Acute care hospitals

Establishments which provide at least minimal medical, surgical or obstetric services for inpatient treatment and/or care, and which provide round-the-clock comprehensive qualified nursing service as well as other necessary professional services. They must be licensed by the state health department, or controlled by government departments. Most of the patients have acute conditions or temporary ailments and the average stay per admission is relatively short.

Hospitals specialising in dental, ophthalmic aids and other specialised medical or surgical care are included in this category. Hospices (establishments providing palliative care to terminally ill patients) that are freestanding and do not provide any other form of acute care are classified to R6.

CODE R2     Psychiatric hospitals

Establishments devoted primarily to the treatment and care of inpatients with psychiatric, mental, or behavioural disorders. Private hospitals formerly approved by the Commonwealth Department of Health under the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cwlth) (now licensed/approved by each state health authority), catering primarily for patients with psychiatric or behavioural disorders are included in this category.

Centres for the non-acute treatment of drug dependence, developmental and intellectual disability are not included here (see below). This code also excludes institutions mainly providing living quarters or day care.

CODE R3     Nursing homes

Establishments which provide long-term care involving regular basic nursing care to chronically ill, frail, disabled or convalescent persons or senile inpatients. They must be approved by responsible Commonwealth Department and/or licensed by the relevant state/territory, or controlled by Government departments.

Private profit nursing homes are operated by private profit-making individuals or bodies.

Private charitable nursing homes are participating nursing homes operated by religious and charitable organisations.

Government nursing homes are nursing homes either operated by or on behalf of a state or territory Government.

CODE R4     Alcohol and drug treatment centres

Freestanding centres for the treatment of drug dependence on an inpatient basis.

CODE R5     Hostels and residential services

Establishments run by public authorities or registered non-profit organisations to provide board, lodging or accommodation for the aged, distressed or disabled who cannot live independently but do not need nursing care in a hospital or nursing home. Only hostels subsidised by the Commonwealth are included. Separate dwellings are not included, even if subject to an individual rental rebate arrangement. Residents are generally responsible for their own provisions, but may be provided in some establishments with domestic assistance (meals, laundry, personal care). Night shelters providing only casual accommodation are excluded.

CODE R6     Hospices

Establishments providing palliative care to terminally ill patients. Only freestanding hospices which do not provide any other form of acute care are included in this category.

CODE N7     Same-day establishments

This code includes both the traditional day centre/hospital and also freestanding day surgery centres.

Day centres/hospitals are establishments providing a course of acute treatment on a full-day or part-day non-residential attendance basis at specified intervals over a period of time. Sheltered workshops providing occupational or industrial training are excluded.

Freestanding day surgery centres are hospital facilities providing investigation and treatment for acute conditions on a day-only basis and are approved by the Commonwealth for the purposes of basic table health insurance benefits.

CODE  N8     Non-residential health services

Services administered by public authorities or registered non-profit organisations which employ full-time equivalent medical or paramedical staff (nurses, nursing aides, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists, but not trade instructors or teachers). This definition distinguishes health services from welfare services (not within the scope of the National Minimum Data Project) and thereby excludes such services as sheltered workshops, special schools for the intellectually disabled, meals on wheels and baby clinics offering advisory services but no actual treatment. Non-residential health services should be enumerated in terms of services or organisations rather than in terms of the number of sites at which care is delivered.

Non-residential health services provided by a residential establishment (for example, domiciliary nursing service which is part of a public hospital) should not be separately enumerated.

CODE N8.1     Community health centres

Public or registered non-profit establishments in which a range of non-residential health services is provided in an integrated and coordinated manner, or which provides for the coordination of health services elsewhere in the community.

CODE N8.2     Domiciliary nursing service

Public or registered non-profit or profit-making establishments providing nursing or other professional paramedical care or treatment to patients in their own homes or in (non-health) residential institutions. Establishments providing domestic or housekeeping assistance are excluded by the general definition above.

Note that national minimum data sets currently include only community health centres and domiciliary nursing services.