Readmissions of day-only patients in NSW acute hospitals.

Day-only admissions have increased substantially over the last decade. With the increase in numbers, it is necessary to consider the quality of care of the patients undergoing a day-only admission. The readmission rate can be used as one such guide to quality of care. For several large Sydney hospitals, the percentage of patients readmitted was consistent across all lengths of stay (approximately 9%). When considering those type of admissions that are more suited to day surgery units, the readmission rate was 4.4%. This is suggestive of conservative selection criteria for day surgery unit patients.