TDH consistently improving Health Target performance

2 March 2011

Tairawhiti District Health has welcomed today’s release of its performance against the six national Health Targets.

Chief Executive Jim Green says TDH’s performance reflects the daily effort of its staff and community providers to advance health outcomes for local people.

Three targets focus on hospital performance:

• Shorter stays in Emergency Departments
• Improved access to Elective Surgery, and
• Shorter waits for Cancer Treatment Radiotherapy.

 The other three targets focus on preventive measures:

• Increased Immunisation
• Better Help for Smokers to Quit, and
• Better Diabetes and Cardiovascular Services.

Tairawhiti District Health ranked fourth DHB in the country for Shorter Stays in Emergency Departments at 96%, was 17^th at 97% for Improved access to elective surgery which showed an increase of 4% on last quarter, and was placed first with the 19 other DHBs for Shorter Waits for Cancer Treatment.  Tairawhiti has also met the new target set by the Ministry of Health wherein everyone needing radiation treatment will have this within four weeks for next quarter compared to six weeks for the target now.

Tairawhiti has not faired so well with Better Help for Smokers to Quit placed 19^th at 60%, Increased Immunisation placed 18^th on 82% and Better diabetes and cardiovascular services placed 19^th on 68%.  Work is already underway to see an improvement in these areas, especially in conjunction with primary care services for the immunisation and diabetes/cardiovascular targets.

Mr Green said the combined efforts of many people working within TDH and in community providers are needed to maintain and improve performance on these very important indicators of how health services are performing for our community. While in many areas we are doing well and have made gains, in others additional efforts is needed to ensure the benefits our community deserves.

TDH Board Chair Mr David Scott said that the total results were an improvement with the TDH average increasing to 83%.  This result reflects the great work that our health workforce across Tairawhiti delivers on a daily basis. ”I am sure, given the commitment of our staff and providers to achieving ‘better, sooner more convenient health care’ for the people of Tairawhiti; we will see further gains in the Quarter 3 results.”

Please click here for a pictorial of Tairawhiti DHBs health target performance.

ENDS

For more information contact:   Sarah Lynch, Communications Manager, 06 869 0500 ext 8115 or 021 223 7094.