Canterbury DHB Surgery Numbers Up

19 May 2004

Canterbury DHB Surgery Numbers Up - Against the National trend

The Canterbury District Health Board’s public hospital surgical procedures – both elective and acute surgery - have increased markedly this year compared with last year, says the Board’s General Manager Hospital & Specialist Services Jock Muir.

‘Contrary to the national trend as outlined by the Treasury report released yesterday, the CDHB’s hospitals have increased their number of surgical procedures,’ he said.

‘Nearly 1000 more people in Canterbury have had an operation as at 31 March this year compared with the same nine month period last year,’ he said. ‘We are also ahead of our contracted volumes.’

Mr Muir said the figures applied across all CDHB hospitals.

‘At Christchurch hospital alone more than 600 surgical patients have received treatment than at the same time last year. This is an excellent result and we predict the end of year figures will be even better.’

There were several reasons for the positive result. Part of it was due to improved management of the waiting list, part of it was due to having better availability of skilled surgical teams, and part of it was due to a superb effort on the part of both clinical and support staff, Mr Muir said.

ENDS

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