DHB improves results in national Health Targets

26 August 2010

Hawke’s Bay DHB improves results in national Health Targets

Massive improvements in three of the heath targets, released today, as well as solid consistently high achievements in the three others is a reflection of Hawke’s Bay District Health Board’s work to deliver better health services from the health sector to the community.

Standout achievements were made in wait times to Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s Emergency Department, smoking cessation advice to patients and improvements in the number of people having elective surgery. The DHB also improved on its consistently good results in immunisation rates of two year-olds and in diabetes and cardiovascular services.

The shorter stays in ED health target jumped 19.3 percent from a first quarter result of 73 percent to 92.6 percent in the figures released today.

DHBs have until June 2011 to achieve the 95 percent target of patients being admitted, discharged or transferred from an ED within six hours.

Professor Mike Ardagh, the government’s target champion for shorter stays in ED, said
the excellent progress over the last year had seen Hawke’s Bay DHB come just two percent short of achieving the 95 percent target.

Chief executive Kevin Snee said it was significant that the DHB had been able to provide better outcomes for patients while at the same time making considerable financial improvements - and this financial year was expecting to deliver a break even financial position.

‘The tremendous work of staff from throughout the health sector made these results possible and they should be congratulated and recognised for their hard work.”

Dr Snee said the community of Hawke’s Bay now not only waited less time in ED but also had improved access to elective surgery where the 100 percent target of increasing elective surgery discharges was bettered by one percent to 101 percent - up from 84 percent in the first quarter.

Immunisation rates for the community’s two year olds had seen the DHB consistently beat the 85 percent target and in the final quarter achieved 92 percent. Smokers now got more help to quit with the DHB now providing advice to 75 percent of its patients for the quarter and it had also hit the target of 80 percent in June - up from 23 percent in the first quarter. Progress and improvements in diabetes and cardiovascular services meant Hawke’s Bay was ranked third DHB for its performance.

Chief operating officer Warrick Frater said the work of staff to make such massive improvements needed to be especially recognised when they were also dealing with significant increases in presentations of acutely ill patients to the hospital.

Napier GP and newly appointed primary care chief medical officer to the DHB’s Clinical Council Peter Foley said gains in efficiency, patient quality and safety with better integration of all the different health sectors were now coming into play and the people of Hawke’s Bay were the beneficiaries.

”With the addition of the imminent Clinical Council we will be committed to drive even greater clinical performance and enhance our patients’ health outcomes.”

Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s chief medical officer John Gommans said significant improvements in all areas reflected well on the efforts of all clinicians in Hawke’s Bay.

“Most importantly these results tell us that our patients are receiving better care and we are reducing their risk of future illness.”

ENDS

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