November 4, 2016
Latest Canterbury Community Health magazine marks Patient Safety Week
This week is New Zealand’s national “Let’s Talk” Patient Safety Week, coordinated by the Health Quality & Safety Commission.
Patient Safety Week is our Health System’s collective commitment to consumers and patients that we continue to strive
towards providing the best and safest care possible, every time.
Susan Wood, Canterbury DHB Director Quality and Safety, says Patient Safety Week was kicked off with the Canterbury
Health System Quality Improvement and Innovation Awards.
“Each year we encourage our people to innovate and to share and celebrate their success through the Quality Awards.”
A number of this year’s nominated projects are featured in the Quality Accounts Edition of WellNow that will be arriving
in Canterbury mailboxes this week, with its focus during this important week also on quality and patient safety.
Caption: Jonty Gray with cricketer Brendan McCullum, ambassador for the Maia Foundation, pictured in Christchurch
Hospital’s Ward Activity Room earlier this year.
“This special edition of WellNow Quality Accounts Edition provides a snapshot of how our Canterbury Health System is
meeting the health needs of our community and reinforces our vision, which is of a truly integrated system that keeps
people healthy and well in their own homes by ensuring the right care and support is provided to the right person, at
the right time and in the right place.”
The printed edition has five spotlight areas: Consumer experience, staying well, preventing harm, equity, and
redevelopment news.
The online-only version has an additional section that charts our performance against national health targets, quality
and safety markers as set by the Health Quality and Safety Commission, and other key measures. It can be found at www.cdhb.health.nz/HealthSnapshot
Featured in this edition are stories of how ARANZ (Applied Research Associates NZ) Medical’s wound imaging system,
Silhouette is helping patients and clinicians monitor healing, how CHOC (Children’s Haematology and Oncology Centre)
children are loving ‘The Magic Wand’ as an alternative to numbing cream, and you can read about the difference
Partnership Community Workers are making to health care for low income, Māori, Pacific and migrant families.
“I am confident you will enjoy reading the WellNow, Quality Accounts Edition and trust you will find it helpful and
informative,” Ms Wood says.
If you have any feedback on WellNow, Quality Accounts Edition that would help us improve future editions, please
complete our online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/QAyoursay, emailqualityaccounts@cdhb.health.nz or write to Susan Wood, Director Quality and Patient Safety, Canterbury DHB, PO Box 1600, Christchurch.
ENDS