Our health system taking care of you

MEDIA RELEASE

August 23, 2016

Our health system taking care of you

More people than ever are getting their operations and the care they need, according to the latest health targets.

Canterbury’s performance in quarter four of the 2015/2016 targets show the District Health Board planned to deliver 20,474 elective surgical discharges for its Health Target for the year to date and have delivered 21,039 or 565 more.

David Meates, Canterbury DHB chief executive, says Canterbury’s elective services provision has increased 54 percent in the past seven years.

“The Canterbury Health system is doing more than ever and achieving some remarkable outcomes.

“It’s our job to make sure we are providing the most effective services to as many of our population as possible.”

Cantabrians have every right to expect the very best from its health system, Mr Meates says.

In the fourth quarter Canterbury achieved 103 percent on the 100 percent target.

“Canterbury has been able to demonstrate the effects of the integrated approach it has taken to the provision of health services.

“The Canterbury Health System has not missed a beat since the earthquakes, when services here should have imploded.

“The people working in the Canterbury Health system do their very best to ensure that people get the right the care in the right place by the right person at the right time.”

Meanwhile, despite an extremely busy winter, Christchurch Hospital's Emergency Department, Canterbury's performance against the 95 percent ED target has remained consistent achieving 95 percent for the fourth consecutive quarter.

“Winter has been extremely tough. It’s been particularly hard on our frail elderly population, which has resulted in higher numbers than usual presenting to hospital who are very unwell.

“Despite the challenges and pressures, ED and the wider health system have continued to deliver outstanding care.

“The supports in place in the community, such as the Acute Demand Management Service, have enabled 33,000 people in Canterbury to be managed in their community over the last year rather than being admitted into hospital. This has helped free hospital capacity for more elective surgery to take place.”

Mr Meates says Canterbury would have run out of hospital bed capacity two years ago if it was not for the changes in improving integration across the system.

“This would have been devastating for our community,” he says.

“But it didn’t because of the remarkable people who work in the Canterbury Health System. They choose to make sure their community would not miss out on the health services they so desperately needed and continue to need.”

Canterbury DHB continues to work closely with the Primary Health Organisations s to actively support the delivery of the primary care health targets – improving to 88 percent on the ‘Better help for smokers to quit’ target and to 87 percent for the ‘More heart and diabetes checks’ target.

Find out more about Canterbury’s performance in quarter four of the 2015/2016 health targets here.

ENDS

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