West Coast meets majority of health targets

Media release
25 August 2016

West Coast meets majority of health targets

The West Coast District Health Board is ensuring shorter stays in the emergency department, is delivering more than expected volumes of elective surgery, and eligible people are getting assessed for cardiovascular risk as evidenced in the latest national health targets.

The DHB’s performance against six targets is measured quarterly and the figures for the final quarter in the 2015/16 financial year were released this week.

West Coast DHB Chief Executive David Meates says it was pleasing the DHB continues to have the lowest wait time in the country, with 100% of patients admitted, discharged, or transferred from ED within six hours, against a target of 95%.

Mr Meates also noted West Coast general practices have ensured 91% of the eligible enrolled West Coast population have had a heart and diabetes check (cardiovascular risk assessment) in the last five years, exceeding the 90% national target.

West Coast DHB staff provided 97% of all hospitalised smokers with smoking cessation advice and support – achieving the target this quarter. The target was almost met for the Māori population – 93% - with just two patients being missed.

West Coast health practitioners have reported giving 4,364 smokers cessation advice in the 15 months ending June 2016. This represents 79% of smokers against the 90% target.

“While the DHB is disappointed not to have improved performance against this target, three of the eight West Coast general practices are performing above target. The remaining practices have individual action plans in place to close the gap, including dashboards, education, and clinical leadership,” Mr Meates says.

The target to provide patients with their first cancer treatment (or other management) within 62 days of being referred with a high suspicion of cancer, was missed by just two patients, representing an 80% score against the 85% target.

Although the DHB did not meet the target to immunise 95% of all eight-month-olds, performance was very positive, the DHB achieved 78% immunisation coverage, representing 100% of the consenting population. Opt-offs and declines increased this quarter to 21.7% and continue to make meeting the target impossible.

Full information on the West Coast DHB’s Health Target performance can be found on the West Coast DHB website (www.wcdhb.nz) and more information is available on the Ministry of Health’s Health Targets pages.

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