Heartening OECD Results

New Zealand's hard working health professionals across the health sector can take a bow after some outstanding results in an OECD report released today.

The figures show that for quality of care, New Zealand and Australia have the best immediate (30 day survival) rates for treatment of heart attack in the OECD.

New Zealand also rates above average in survival rates for cervical cancer and bowel (colorectal cancers) and just above average for eye checks for diabetes patients.

Health Minister Davis Cunliffe says "data like this always need to be viewed with some caution but its good to have an authorative reminder that shows New Zealand's publicly funded health system delivers results that are among the best in the world ."

"This is heartening as we know we face rates of some diseases like heart disease and some cancers at a higher level then in other comparable countries."

But the Minister says as with any area in Health it is not all good news. Avoidable hospital admissions and deaths from asthma, hospital deaths from strokes and breast cancer survival rates are still below the OECD average.

"Along with the excellent results, New Zealand like all other countries included in the report, has areas where we must improve."

ENDS

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