Publication of the Annual Northern Ireland Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics for 2024/25

Date published: 18 December 2025

The purpose of this publication is to complement data contained in the Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity (2024/25) publication, issued on 7 August 2025, and available on the DoH website at:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/inpatient-and-day-case-activity

While the Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Inpatient and Day Case Activity (2024/25) publication is based on admissions to hospitals, this publication is based on finished consultant episodes (FCEs). A patient may have more than one FCE during one admission to hospital.

The Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics show detailed analysis at specialty, diagnosis, procedure and healthcare resource group levels within the Acute Programme of Care (PoC 1). Episode-based data in Northern Ireland can be compared with the equivalent Hospital Episode Statistics published annually in England.

Key facts and figures for Northern Ireland Acute Episode-Based Activity Statistics for 2024/25:

Number of finished consultant episodes within the acute programme of care

• In 2024/25, there were 636,338 Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) in Northern Ireland hospitals within the Acute Programme of Care, a decrease of 0.6% on the previous year (640,099 in 2023/24) and an increase of 28.1% on the 496,628 recorded in 2020/21.
• Of the 636,338 FCEs during 2024/25, almost a third, 198,483 (31.2%) were admitted for day case treatment.  Over the last five years, the number of day case episodes has increased by 93.1% from 102,773 in 2020/21 to 198,483 in 2024/25. Over the same period, the number of inpatient episodes increased by 17.1% from 295,764 in 2020/21 to 346,318 in 2024/25.
• The average length of an inpatient episode was 3.8 days in 2024/25; an increase from 3.2 days in 2020/21.

High Volume Activity:

This activity relates to the most frequently recorded diagnosis of patients admitted to hospital, and the most common procedures carried out in Health and Social Care (HSC) Hospitals.

• In 2024/25, the most frequently recorded primary diagnosis was chronic kidney disease with a total of 77,366 FCEs (12.2%).
• In 2024/25, compensation for renal failure was the most frequently recorded main procedure (77,801).

Topical Information Areas:

These are the areas most frequently requested by customers, including researchers and the general public.

• In 2024/25, there were 76,259 FCEs where a diagnosis of cancer or other neoplasm was recorded as the primary diagnosis - a decrease of 10.3% when compared to 2023/24 (84,974) and an increase of 20.0% when compared to 2020/21 (63,560).
• Over the same period, there has been a rise by 81.5% (increasing from 23,562 in 2020/21 to 42,773 in 2024/25) in the number of FCEs where the primary diagnosis recorded was influenza, pneumonia, etc.
• FCEs where a diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease was recorded in a primary position, have increased by 13.0% from 11,254 recorded in 2020/21 to 12,717 recorded in 2024/25.
• There has been a rise in the number of FCEs where a hip procedure was the primary intervention, from 1,538 in 2020/21 to 2,866 in 2024/25 - an increase of 86.3%.