Southern DHB releases strategic plan for public consultation

Southern DHB releases strategic plan for public consultation

Southern District Health Board is releasing a draft 10-year district-wide strategic health services plan, asking staff, health providers and the general public for their input into its most comprehensive plan to date.

Southern DHB CEO, Carole Heatly said the draft of the Southern Strategic Health Services Plan suggests how the Southern healthcare system can introduce better overall health service and, by removing duplication and inefficiencies, allow resources to be redirected into more patient services.

“The major focus is on building a collaborative system of care with greater emphasis on primary/GP, community, rural and ambulatory care, bringing appropriate care closer to a person’s home,” she said.

“The draft also draws health providers across the healthcare sector together to make best use of the skills, knowledge and facilities available.”

Southern District Health Board is now asking for comment and suggested improvements to the draft plan from the Southern community. The consultation period runs from 14 October to 21 November and includes a roadshow around the district, where anyone can attend to ask questions and comment about the draft. .

After the consultation period ends, feedback will be analysed and considered during the drafting of the final plan. The final Strategic Health Services Plan will then be presented to the Board for their consideration in February next year.

If adopted, the principles and priorities will guide planning, funding and provision of the DHB-funded health and support services for sustainable healthcare in Southern for the next 10 years.

Ms Heatly said Southern DHB believes this is an opportunity to look, for the first time, at a whole-of-healthcare-system that would link services better, making service use easier and smoother for patients and ensuring the safety and quality of the service is maintained.

“We are experiencing big changes in the healthcare world as technology and knowledge advance. For example, some conditions that used to need hospital stays can now be treated as day cases – or sometimes just with medication. More people can receive their care appropriately closer to home, if not actually in their own homes,” she said.

“At the same time, the healthcare needs of the Southern population are changing: we see more diabetes and heart disease, for example. Communities themselves are also changing as people move between town and country, and our population ages.”

“All of this means that while we have many excellent services and providers across Southern, our present system doesn’t work as well as it could, and consequently adds unnecessary costs to the system and inefficiencies for users, GPs and other health providers, and staff,” said Ms Heatly.

Ms Heatly said the Southern Strategic Health Services Plan is the most comprehensive, whole-of- system, medium term plan for Southern DHB since it was created from the 2010 merging of Otago and Southland District Health Boards.

“Having an overall picture of how healthcare services could look in 10 years’ time is also essential for planning the Dunedin Hospital redevelopment.”

The draft has been developed by Health Partners Consulting Group with the DHB and in partnership with key health providers including clinicians and managers from primary and community care, NGOs, hospital staff, university, polytechnic and local community leaders.

For Info box
The full draft of the Plan, together with a summary and survey are available online at www.southerndhb.govt.nz/pages/SHSP. The summary and questionnaire will also be available from local council offices, libraries and local hospitals, as well as many general practices.

Over the same period, Southern DHB is running a series of meetings across the district. Dates and locations are available online at: www.southerndhb.govt.nz/pages/SHSP and also on posters, advertisements, the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/southerndhb) and Twitter (@southerndhb).

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