Southern DHB Annual Plan focuses on ‘whole of system’ care

Media Release
Monday 21 November 2016

Southern DHB Annual Plan focuses on ‘whole of system’ care

Southern DHB’s 2016/17 Annual Plan has now been approved, outlining the DHB’s commitments to delivering the government health priorities and targets.

This includes the new government health target of addressing childhood obesity, which will see a steering group established and pathways developed for referring at-risk children to relevant health professionals.

It also looks towards embedding the New Zealand Health Strategy: Future Direction, reinforcing the areas of focus in Southern DHB’s Owning our Future plan, including the need to invest in enabling technologies and better integration across the health system.

“Meeting the health priorities and targets for our communities requires a whole of system approach that focuses on keeping people well and delivering care closer to home, while living within our means,” says Southern DHB Commissioner Kathy Grant.

For example, many resources can become tied up in dealing with illnesses that have become acute or urgent. Acute health events often mean avoidable stress and discomfort, and are more expensive to treat, she says.

To address this, Southern DHB is focusing on areas including preventing falls among the elderly in the community, better managing the care of those on multiple medications, and more coordinated care for people with long-term conditions.

“Achieving whole of system change requires a culture of innovation and collaboration, looking holistically at the health care system, and working to the strengths of all our partners in primary care, education, allied health, iwi and social services,” Mrs Grant says.

To deliver the priorities, the Southern DHB Annual Plan forecasts a deficit of $22 million for the 2016/17 financial year.

Mrs Grant says it is especially pleasing to be able to improve the DHB’s financial performance without reductions in health services, but rather through optimising revenue opportunities, reducing waste and duplication, and focusing on the areas that our patients and communities have told us are important to them.”

“We have committed to eliminate the deficit by 2019/20 and the 2016/17 Annual Plan makes a significant step towards this goal.”

To view Southern DHB’s 2016/17 Annual Plan click here

ENDS

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