A hospital is a medical institution that provides healthcare and treatment of patients by specialized staff and equipment designed for specific conditions. These institutions are usually funded by the public sector, by for-profit or nonprofit health organizations, health insurance companies, and charitable donations. Hospitals are generally staffed by qualified physicians, surgeons and nurses to care for patients. These patients go to hospitals for diagnosis, treatment, or therapy for certain conditions, as well as being admitted overnight or for several days. This ability differentiates a hospital from other healthcare centers which do not have the facilities to admit and care for inpatients.

A general hospital is the most common type which is set up to handle many kinds of conditions and injuries. It normally has an emergency department where the staff can immediately deal with life threatening conditions. Meanwhile, a district hospital is typically considered to be the major healthcare facility in its region. A specialized hospital is an institution where specific needs of people are met such as geriatric, rehabilitation, children's, psychiatric problems, and many more.

There are some hospitals that started as a single building and eventually grew bigger by evolving into campuses. These hospitals are affiliated with educational institutions that use their facilities for medical research and training for students in the medical field.
The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) is a nonprofit organization that acts as Australia's leading healthcare assessment and accreditation provider. The organization aims to uphold the highest quality and safety of healthcare for all Australians and to develop performance measures that would help improve the quality of hospitals and all other healthcare service providers.

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, formerly known as the Australian Healthcare Association, is the only organization in the country that represents the entire public healthcare sector and the professionals involved in the sector since 1947. This Association aims to improve Australia's public healthcare sector by promoting cooperation between all professionals involved. Its members include Queensland Health, South Australian Health, Tasmanian Health and Human Services, Northern Territory Health, ACT Health, all other health services, academics and students. Furthermore, the Association upholds the right of all Australian to universal coverage and access to a healthcare system of high standards, as well as creating policy solutions that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable for the entire country.

How to choose the right hospital

• The hospital should meet the national quality standards by being accredited by the ACHS.
• One way to learn about the quality of service from hospitals is by looking at hospital report cards made by several consumer groups. This would give you an idea of what kind of service to expect from a hospital you are considering.
• Consider a hospital that will accept healthcare plans.
• Check if the hospital has experience with your condition especially if it is one that needs special care. You may also want to check if the hospital has a team of professionals that specialize in your condition or treatment.
• A good hospital will always try to improve the quality of their care. You can check on the internet for reviews and comments about the quality of service the hospital provides from previous patients.