Department of Health

Statistics and Analytics Unit

Block 1, Miesian Plaza, 50–58
Lower Baggot Street,
Dublin 2, Dublin,
Ireland D02 XW14

The Joint Questionnaire provides statistics on non-expenditure related health care, such as:
1. Health care human resources, facilities and utilisation.
2. People active in the health care sector (e.g. physicians, dentists, nurses, etc.) and their status (e.g. graduates, practising, migration of physicians and nurses, etc.).
3. Available health care technical resources and facilities (e.g. hospital beds, beds in residential care facilities, medical technology, etc.).
4. Health activities or patient contacts undertaken (e.g. hospital discharges, surgical procedures, ambulatory care data, etc.).
Data refers to annual national and regional data, which is provided in absolute numbers or as a rate of the relevant population (refer to section 4. “Unit of measure” for more information). Majority of the data is based mainly on administrative records (see Section 18.1 “Source data” for more information).

The following classifications are referred to throughout the compilation of the non-expenditure health care data:

1. The classifications used in the System of Health Accounts (SHA) and its related set of International Classification for the Health Accounts (https://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/1841456.pdf) are applied for establishing the different types of hospitals.

2. For hospital discharges, the International Shortlist for Hospital Morbidity Tabulation (ISHMT) is used (http://stats.oecd.org/wbos/fileview2.aspx?IDFile=e477970b-3024-4188-8dc6-13f3db201846).

3. For health employment, the directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications applies (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32005L0036).

4. For geographical regional disaggregation, the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) classification is applied.

Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG). The Eurostat manual on healthcare non-expenditure statistics (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-manuals-and-guidelines/w/ks-gq-23-001) provides an overview of the classifications, both for mandatory variables and variables provided on voluntary basis. Where possible, the statistics are separated by sex (male/female), age group and region.

For more information on definition deviations and coverage, see annexed document.

Data submitted aims to cover all areas of the National health care system (such as: public and private health care, etc.).

For more information on coverage for specific variables, refer to respective headings in the annexed document.

The non-expenditure health care statistics describe the health sector from a non-monetary perspective. The statistics explain the number or rate of different health care resources, facilities and utilisations.

A wide range of indicators are collected from a multitude of sources and therefore, details pertaining to individual variables are given in the annexed document. Furthermore, any national changes of statistical concepts and national definitions deviating from EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) are indicated in the same annexed document.

The Eurostat manual on healthcare non-expenditure statistics provides an overview of the classifications, both for mandatory variables and variables provided on voluntary basis.

Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG).

The following statistical units are referred to in the Joint Questionnaire data:
1. Registered health professionals and workforce.
2. Health care facilities and their resources.
3. Health care system users.

Refer to Section 4. "Unit of measure" for the respective measurement units of these statistical units. 

The following statistical populations are referred to in the Joint Questionnaire data:
1. All registered/active/practicing health professionals.
2. All health workforce (including hospital staff, long-term care, etc.).
3. All health care facilities and resources (in both public and private sectors).
4. All patients and length of duration of treatment (in both public and private sectors).
5. All health care services and surgical procedures (in both public and private sectors).
6. Applicable targeted population for various national immunisation and screening programmes.

The reference area is that of the geographical boundaries of the Republic of Ireland, with no exclusions.

The length of the time series can vary depending on the indicator concerned. Every effort is made to ensure the time series continuity as much as possible. More information about breaks in series and data gaps per variable can be found in the respective heading in the annexed document.

Not applicable.

The following units of measures are found in the Joint Questionnaire data:
1. Headcount (including full-time equivalence) of health workforce.
2. Stock and annual flows of doctors and nurses.
3. Number of hospitals and beds.
4. Number of operations theatres and medical technology units.
5. Number of discharges and bed-days.
6. Number of consultations, procedures and exams carried out.
7. Percentages of immunisations and screenings.
8. Headcount of graduates.

Data refers to either a calendar year or as at end of the year for the year of reference.

Any deviations from this reference period is respectively mentioned in the annexed document.

Any data submitted pre-2008 had no legal basis and was done as part of a gentlemen’s agreement among Eurostat and the Member States.

From 2008 up to 2021, the data submission was governed by the “Regulation on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work” (EC) No 1338/2008 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:354:SOM:EN:HTML).

From 2022 onwards, the data submission is governed be the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG).

The Joint Questionnaire on Non-Monetary Health Care Statistics is carried by Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe. Data submitted in this questionnaire is therefore shared among these three entities. 

While no confidentiality policy exists specifically for the submission of the Joint Questionnaire data at national level, any disseminated information is vetted for confidentiality and secondary confidentiality, in line with the adapted principles and guidelines included in the Commission Regulation No 223/2009 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32009R0223). 

While no confidentiality policy exists specifically for the submission of the Joint Questionnaire data at national level, an adopted common practice to suppress through aggregating any identifiable information (including secondary confidentiality) is applied throughout the questionnaire's variables. Any suppressions are respectively indicated (if any) in the annexed document under their respective heading.

Any Joint Questionnaire data releases will be listed in the publicly available Department of Health's statistics release calendar (https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/2352f-statistics-and-analytics/).

Furthermore, data submitted under the Joint Questionnaire will be disseminated under the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) by Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe.

A Department of Health's statistics release calendar is publicly available (https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/2352f-statistics-and-analytics/).

National data releases are made publicly available on the Department of Health's National Healthcare Statistics page (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/6a6b5-national-healthcare-statistics-2023/). 

Furthermore, additional disseminations by Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe are mode publicly available on their respective online databases and various publications.

Data is submitted on an annual basis from February 2023 onwards as directed under the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) to be disseminated according to the Department of Health's statistical release calendar and the Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe dissemination schedules respectively.

Data is submitted on an annual basis from February 2023 onwards as directed under the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) to be disseminated according to the Department of Health's statistical calendar and the Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe dissemination schedules respectively through various preferred dissemination methods.

Data is submitted on an annual basis from February 2023 onwards as directed under the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) to be disseminated according to the Department of Health's statistical calendar and the Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe dissemination schedules respectively through various preferred dissemination methods.

Data is submitted on an annual basis from February 2023 onwards as directed under the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) to be disseminated according to the Department of Health's statistical calendar and the Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe dissemination schedules respectively on their official data portals.

No microdata is compiled/transmitted/disseminated on these data topics, as directed under the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG), both by Eurostat/OECD/WHO-Europe and Nationally.

Data is submitted on an annual basis from February 2023 onwards as directed under the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) to be disseminated according to the Department of Health's statistical calendar and the Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe dissemination schedules respectively through various preferred dissemination methods.

Methodology documentation shall refer to the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) as well as any accompanying manual/notes.

Disseminated methodology document will refer to this metadata report, including any accompanying annexed document/s.

The following main actions are undertaken to assure quality:
1. Ensure the use of the best available source (i.e. data is of a good quality, is consistent, is timely and as close to the definitions as possible).
2. Assist sources in addressing issues or providing more accurate data.
3. Conduct checks at every step of the data compilation process.

At National level, consistency and coherence checks on the received data is conducted to ensure accuracy. Furthermore, assistance to data sources to develop or address data issues are made to ensure accurate coverage as indicated in the governing regulation.

At European level, output standardisation is ensured through the definitions of the formats (list and content of target variables, data format) and the timetable of data transmission. This is complemented by Eurostat consistency, integrity checks on the submitted data so that output quality standard is reached.

Finally, any data is accompanied with a quality report that analyses the accuracy, coherence and comparability of the submitted data.

For the Joint Questionnaire, the main users are the following:
1. National users (e.g. National Statistical Institution, Public departments, etc.).
2. Statistical users in Eurostat, OECD and WHO or in Member States.
3. Researchers.
4. Other end users (e.g. media).

Not available, no User Satisfaction Survey is conducted on the transmitted data under the Joint questionnaire.

Figures submitted tend to have specific inclusions or exclusions, which are further defined in the annexed document. In addition, potential double counting is also flagged in the annexed document when necessary.

The submitted figures provide a general accuracy on the data submitted.

The most common coverage issue in hospital activity is that of private hospital exclusions, which is estimated to cater for 25% of national activity (this figure is based on the Health Ireland Survey 2018 and is an estimate only to be interpreted with caution).

For coverage criteria and breaks in series, refer to annexed document for more detail per variable heading.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG) establishes the reference period and timeliness of data transmissions from the national statistical institutes.

A Derogation Decision (EU) 2022/2306 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.305.01.0058.01.ENG) was granted for Ireland for the reference years 2023-2024 on the non-submission of:
1. Detailed number of hospital inpatient discharges.
2. Detailed number of hospital inpatient bed-days.
3. Detailed number of hospital day case discharges.

Data and metadata submissions follow the established deadlines for the respective reference year in the EU Regulation No 2294/2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2022.304.01.0042.01.ENG).  

All data sources refer to National coverage (refer to Section 3.7 "Reference Area"), unless otherwise specified in the annexed document.

Data comparability is possible, provided that same source and coverage criteria have been maintained. Any breaks in series are dutifully flagged.

For more information on sources and coverage per specific variables, refer to annexed document. 

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Questionnaire-based sources are designed to keep respondent burden controlled so as to avoid high non-response rates and ensure good quality of collected information.

Non-survey-based sources are from registers and administrative sources whose use of this data is for other information activities over and above the submission of the Joint Questionnaire data. 

Provisional figures are updated upon the next transmission provided that the final data is made available.

With regards to data errors, whether arising from input data or calculation methodology, are corrected as soon as possible following their identification, and replacement figures are transmitted.

Revisions occur for provisionally flagged figures, as well as in cases of new adjustments or possible corrections.

Source data for the different variables are given in the annexed document.

Annual.

The majority of the data sources stem from registers or administrative data.

The rest of the data sources are survey based (e.g. private hospitals, private resident population aged 15+). It is estimated that survey-based sources cater for around 10% or the total current data sources.

Data validation occurs in multiple stages:
1. Data is checked upon receipt from source for accuracy.
2. Data is compared to previous years’ figures for consistency.
3. Arithmetic checks are conducted prior to inclusion.
4. Final trend checks are conducted over the questionnaire data.

Aggregated data is compiled at National level (unless specified at regional level) through arithmetic sum on National data disaggregation received.

For survey-based data, the aggregate is compiled based on a population-weighted arithmetic sum/average/percentage (depending on the variable in reference). 

Missing data for mandatory variables is estimated (for estimation methods, refer to relevant section in the annexed document).

For non-mandatory variables, where data does not exist, no adjustments or estimations are made and left empty.

No additional comments or notes.