Health Targets Results Explained

Health Targets results explained

Wairarapa DHB has continued to score well against the National Health Targets, despite slipping one or two percentage points on several measures. The results for the second quarter to December 09 have just been released by the Ministry of Health, and can be found on the DHB’s website website www.wairarapa.dhb.org.nz.

“Overall, we are pleased with our result and have plans in place to manage the obvious area of reduced performance, access to elective surgery,” says General Manager of Clinical Services, Kieran McCann. “The target is to deliver 100% of contracted services over the year, and last quarter were on track to deliver 107%. This quarter we are only tracking at 95%. This is partly because activity is weighted towards the first 6 months, anticipating a quieter time over January, and partly because we are awaiting the arrival of our new orthopaedic surgeon, who starts in April. We expect the results next quarter to pick up, with 100% achieved by year end.”

The Ministry of Health reports on quarterly progress towards achieving agreed annual health targets with each DHB. Nationally, overall progress was made against five of the six national health targets for this quarter:

• Shorter stays in Emergency Departments improved by 3%
• Improved access to elective surgery increased by 4.5%
• Increased immunisation rates rose from 81% to 83%
• Better help for smokers to quit was up by 8%
• Better diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) services improved by 2%

Performance against the cancer radiation waiting times health target has slightly decreased nationally. In quarter two, 50 patients waited more than six weeks between first specialist assessment and the start of radiation treatment for capacity related reasons, compared to 35 patients in quarter one.

This was due to pressures at Auckland and Canterbury DHB Cancer Centres from a surge in urgent and complex treatment referrals and some equipment maintenance issues during December. Wairarapa’s 100% achievement of this target was unchanged, as most Wairarapa people receive their radiation treatment in Palmerston North or Wellington.

“The one other measure Wairarapa DHB scored less well in was ‘better help for smokers to quit’, but despite dropping from 86% to 80% of screened patients being offered help, we remain at the top of the national table,” says Mr McCann. “This is a relatively new measure that many DHBs are still getting to grips with. We started working on this before it became a national target, so our systems are perhaps better established. We recognise we still have a long way to go, and are about to start a new push to increase the number of patients screened, as well as the number who are offered help to quit. Because Wairarapa Hospital and grounds are smokefree, we need to ensure patients have the information and support to remain smokefree while they are in hospital, and hopefully forever. There’s nothing like facing some surgery to give you the incentive to have another go at quitting,” he said. “”Any health professional can attest to the better health, recovery and hospital experience for those who have given up smoking.”

Health Targets:http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1003/HealthTargetsQ2Wairarapa.pdf

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