Waitemata DHB Continues To Lead The Way

www.waitematadhb.govt.nz

Media Release
29 May 2012

Waitemata DHB Continues To Lead The Way

Waitemata DHB continues to lead the way in performance against the Government’s national health targets.

Results for the third quarter of 2011/12 (January to March) released by the Ministry of Health today confirm that Waitemata has achieved four of the six health targets, including for the first time for the whole quarter, the shorter stays in emergency departments target.

The DHB has also substantially achieved two targets – increased immunisation for two-year-olds and the new health target of more heart and diabetes checks. The DHB was ranked fourth best in the country for this new target and is the leader among the large DHBs in New Zealand.

Waitemata also has the distinction of being the only DHB to place in the top 9 (out of 20 DHBs) across all health targets for the quarter.

Chief executive officer Dr Dale Bramley says the results augur well for the DHB’s goal of being one of the best performing DHBs in the country.

“The latest quarterly results show that the new initiatives and facilities that we’ve put in place over the last few years are now paying off,” says Dr Bramley, “But our performance couldn’t have been possible without the commitment and hard work of all our people – from the orderlies and cleaners to the nurses, doctors and allied staff.”

Waitemata DHB’s results for the third quarter are as below:

• Shorter Stays in Emergency Departments – 96% (target 95%)
• Improved Access to Elective Surgery – 105% (target 100%)
• Shorter Waits for Cancer Treatment – 100% (target 100%)
• Increased immunisation – 93% (target 95%)
• Better help for smokers to quit – 97% (target 95%)
• More heart and diabetes checks – 56% (provisional) (target 60%)

Along with further improvements to the elective surgery and better help for smokers to quit target, the DHB exceeded the national health target of having 95% of emergency department patients admitted, discharged or transferred in six hours or less.

This was achieved in spite of a massive increase in emergency department presentations, which have risen from a total of 78,000 people in 2009 to more than 100,000 last year.

Waitemata’s performance against the immunisation target is also at an all-time high, tracking at 94% for the fourth quarter to date, with coverage equity recently achieved for the first time between the district’s Maori population and the overall population.

The DHB is also very close to achieving the new health target of more heart and diabetes checks, with provisional data showing that 56% of Waitemata’s eligible population have had their cardiovascular risk assessed over the last five years. The target is for 60% to receive the check by July 2012, rising in stages yearly to 90% by July 2014.

“The continued improvements in performance across each of these areas reflect the commitment our DHB has made to strive for excellence in all the health services we provide to people in our district,” says Dr Bramley.

“We are well on course to achieving our goal of having one of the best-performing DHBs in the country.”

Health targets were initiated by the Ministry of Health as a set of national performance measures designed to improve health services across New Zealand. Introduced to the New Zealand health system in 2007/08, health targets are reviewed annually to determine trends, gaps and success factors – and to ensure they align with government health priorities.

Ranking of DHBs’ performance is part of the MoH’s quarterly health reporting process. The results are publicly available at http://www.health.govt.nz/

ENDS

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