The Cairns and Hinterland Health Service District covers an area of about 142,900 km2 from Tully and Cardwell in the south to the Daintree in the north and west to Croydon. The population of this area is about 221,000. As the referral hospital for the whole of Far North Queensland, Cairns Base Hospital serves a broader population of about 250,000.
Most Cairns and Hinterland residents can access treatment within the district. Fewer than 5% need to leave the district for treatment. Some people require treatment in Townsville or Brisbane for highly specialised services, such as tertiary cardiothoracic/cardiology, neurosurgery or medical oncology.
The average length of stay in Cairns and Hinterland district facilities has remained constant since 2000 at 2.5 days. If same-day surgery patients are excluded, the average length of stay is 4.5 days.
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