Health target first quarter results on track

MEDIA RELEASE

November 25, 2014

Health target first quarter results on track

Canterbury DHB’s first quarter results in the 2014/2015 National Health Targets show targets on track to being achieved.

Improvements on the primary care targets for Better Help for Smokers to Quit and the More Heart and Diabetes Checks – have more than doubled in the last year to 81 and 71 percent respectively – bringing them much closer to achieving the 90 percent.

David Meates, Canterbury DHB chief executive, says Canterbury continues to work with the Primary Health Organisations to support quit smoking incentives and the delivery of heart and diabetes checks in General Practice.

“Initiatives for quit smoking include text to remind and appointment systems that assist to identify people who are yet to receive a targeted service,” Mr Meates says.

“For heart and diabetes checks, there’s ongoing education and engagement with practices and ongoing support for practices to contact and recall eligible and hard to reach patients.”

Mr Meates says the commitment from across the health system to achieve these targets after coming from a very low base line, is remarkable.
“I’m really impressed with the efforts from everyone to bring these targets within reach.”

Canterbury achieved the Shorter Waits for Cancer treatment target and the Better Help for (Hospitalised) Smokers to Quit target at 100 percent and 95 percent but fell short by two percent of the Shorter Stay in ED and the Increased Immunisation targets of 95 percent.

ED attendances have continued to increase in quarter 1 with the winter months.

“Strategies to care for older people in their own homes and the community are well embedded and have flattened previous growth over the past three years in this age group but we’re still seeing increasing growth in younger male adult presentations,” Mr Meates says.

“Canterbury DHB is monitoring the Christchurch rebuild population to assess what impact this has made on ED attendances – we hope to have some strategies in place early next year.”

Only three DHBs achieved the Increased Immunisation Target in Quarter 1, which changed from 90 percent by 30 June 2014 to 95 percent by 31 December.

Overall Canterbury partially achieved the target vaccinating 93 percent of eligible children.

Despite narrowly missing out overall, Canterbury achieved the target for most ethnicities with strong results for Asian (97 percent), Pacific (96 percent), NZ European (95 percent). Maori coverage improved to (91 percent).

“This is a really great result – it shows that the majority of children are being immunised on time and having that protection will go a long way towards keeping them healthy now and into the future.”

Further information on Health Targets is available here.
Target overview

ENDS

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