Fastest growing DHB not slowing Waitemata down
Having the fastest population growth rate of any health board region, and a busy winter season across all Auckland
hospitals, hasn’t stopped Waitemata District Health Board (DHB) from posting one of the shortest average stays amongst
Emergency Departments nationally.
According to national health target data released by the Ministry of Health today, Waitemata DHB has managed to surpass
the national target for five of the six DHB performance categories; Shorter Stays in Emergency Departments, Improved
access to Elective Surgery, Better help for Smokers to Quit, Raising Healthy Kids, and Faster Cancer Treatment.
Waitemata DHB also led the nation in both the Faster Cancer Treatment health target (90 percent of Waitemata patients
receiving their first cancer treatment within 62 days of referral) and the Raising Healthy Kids target (100 percent of
obese children identified in the B4 School Check programme referred to a health professional for clinical assessment and
family-based nutrition, activity and lifestyle interventions).
These achievements come in spite of high demand across Waitakere and North Shore Hospitals due to a high number of
winter hospital presentations.
Waitemata DHB Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley says having one of the shortest ED stays in the country shows that
Waitemata patients are getting access to the right care, in the right place, faster.
“To achieve such consistently positive ED stay data while both Waitemata DHB hospitals have experienced high demand and
occupancy levels this winter, and while facing challenges resulting from having the longest-lived population nationally,
is a vote of confidence in our investment access to the right care, in the right place, faster.”
“A world-class $9.8 million development of Waitakere Hospital ED was opened this May, and came hot on the heels of a
Waitakere ED expansion in August 2016 which almost doubled in size to cater for the needs of the west Auckland
community.”
Waitemata DHB was found to have the highest achievement rate in two target areas, was tied for second in a third, and
was in the top half of DHBs across all health targets.
ENDS