TDH Quality Account shows continued focus on patient safety

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Tairawhiti District Health
www.tdh.org.nz

TDH Quality Account shows continued focus on patient safety.

Tairāwhiti District Health (TDH) completed a number of projects in the last year to improve healthcare for the people of Tairāwhiti and these are covered in the 2013/14 Quality Account that was released just prior to Christmas.

The account shows that TDH met or exceeded five of the six Ministry of Health targets. The only target not met was providing stop smoking advice in primary care. The target is 90 percent and in Tairāwhiti, 86 percent of smokers received advice. That is an increase of nearly 30 percent on the previous year.

The account also covers what TDH is doing to prevent falls – the most common risk to patient’s safety, reduce hospital acquired infections, make surgery even safer, prevent Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy, reduce the number of mental health patients that are secluded as well as detail of the learnings from the two serious adverse events that occurred last year.

District Health Boards produce Quality Accounts to report on the quality of the services they provide. “They are a snapshot of the areas where services are continually improving, areas where we would like to be doing better, and areas where we are intending to focus in the year ahead, says Chief Executive Jim Green. “Quality Accounts are designed to be published alongside financial accounts to demonstrate that quality and patient safety is of equal value to organisations like TDH.”

“We are an organisation that only exists because people need to be supported to gain optimal health. As a funder and provider of services we are geared to meet this need. That is not enough however. We need to know that the care provided in our district, is to a standard that meets the expectations of our communities. Our Quality Account should make it clear to the community just what they can expect from TDH, and what we will not tolerate and take action to correct.”

The TDH Board regards quality as the number one priority, says Board Chair David Scott. “Close scrutiny and discussion of the quality indicators is a frequent feature at monthly Board meetings. The Quality Account indicates the time and energy invested by our dedicated staff with pleasing improvements shown.”

Responsibility for managing patient quality and risk lies with the Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Sonia Gamblen “About 12 years ago I started asking myself and the people with whom I worked ‘Why do patients have such differing experiences of health care? Why does patient “A” have a good experience and patient “B” have a completely different experience?’ I have seen marvelous patient outcomes, but also patients suffering various forms of harm as a result of their hospital experiences. While I firmly believe none of the harm was intentional, it was often not seen as preventable. The change in thinking – to consider and put in place measures that prevent adverse patient outcomes and promote safe expert care – makes it an exciting time to be working in health care.”

TDH’s key areas of focus in the year ahead are meeting or exceeding national health targets, improving patient safety, improving connections between primary and secondary care, improving access to clinicians for those living in remote communities, improving TDH’s facilities to treat cancer and addressing Tairāwhiti’s high level of obesity and diabetes.

“We are making excellent progress,” says Mr Green, “but there is still much work to be done and I am grateful for the efforts of the staff dedicated to doing it.”

If you have any feedback about this Quality Account and whether they provide relevant and useful information on the quality of health services being delivered in Tairāwhiti please email communications@tdh.org.nz or use the feedback form on the TDH website

Tairāwhiti District Health’s 2013/14 Quality Account is available online

ENDS

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