1 March 2011

Health Targets 2010/11 Quarter Two Results

Hawke’s Bay District Health Board continues to lead the country with its immunisation rates of two year olds; health targets released today, (March 1) reveal.

The Government‘s quarter two health targets for 2010/11 showed Hawke’s Bay DHB had stayed the same or improved in all but one of its six targets.

Medical Officer of Health Caroline McElnay said a huge amount of work from the health sector in Hawke’s Bay contributed to the good results in its immunisation rates of two-year- olds and this result impacted on the whole region.

“With 95 percent of our two-year-olds immunised the whole community is not as susceptible to outbreaks of diseases like measles or mumps and less children need hospital treatment – which benefits us all.”

However, Dr McElnay warned it wasn’t a time to be complacent and parents should always immunise their children on time every time to prevent disease outbreaks and to help prevent children needing hospital treatment from complications of diseases like measles.
Chief executive Kevin Snee said the DHB continued to hold its own in all of the six health targets and had only dropped slightly in its elective target, which would be caught up on in the next quarter.

Dr Snee said he expected the DHB to report a big improvement in shorter stays in the Emergency Department target in the next quarter; however he was pleased to report no-change especially as the results were a reflection of the busy Christmas and New Year period.

“What’s so pleasing is we have been able to hold our own in the health targets while at the same time improving our financial performance and we are predicting to end the year with a $2.5million surplus.

Staff have worked hard to continue to improve on performance which is reflected in our surplus – there has been steady progress, still much to be done, however the DHB was already in a far better position than it had been a year ago, he said.

“The focus over the coming months will be to improve ED wait times by relooking at how we manage patients through ED, working on improving the number of elective surgeries completed and there would be a greater emphasis on improving the services the DHB offered for people with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr Snee said the improved financial position meant the DHB could improve its infrastructure and was focused on increasing theatre capacity, rebuilding the mental health inpatient unit and integrating health services in Wairoa.

ENDS

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