Praise for board

An outstanding achievement for increasing the number of people receiving elective surgery has been awarded to the Waitemata District Health Board by the Health Ministry.

The board achieved 3434 elective surgical discharges for the first quarter of the financial year, 10 percent above the target of 3122.

Improved access to elective surgery is one of six health targets set by the ministry for all 21 boards throughout the country. The others are shorter stays in emergency departments, shorter waits for cancer treatment, increased immunisation, better help for smokers in hospital to quit, and better diabetes and cardiovascular services.

Waitamata met the target for 100 percent of cancer patients needing radiation treatment to have this within six weeks, and the health board works closely with the Auckland board, the provider of this service to Waitemata people, to ensure issues are resolved quickly.

The health board also did well in the target for better diabetes and cardiovascular services. It was just 2 percent short of the 85 percent target for childhood immunisation, but was praised by the ministry for achieving its target for Pacific children.

"The targets for cardiovascular disease, immunisation and diabetes rely substantively on action being taken in primary care, and we are working closely with Primary Health Organisations whose GP practices are playing a big part in achieving these targets," Waitemata chief operating officer Graham Dyer says.

The health board did not perform well on two of the targets – shorter stays for patients in hospital emergency departments and help for smokers in hospital to quit.

Its performance on the emergency department target reflects long-standing and well known problems with delays and overcrowding within the Emergency Care Centre at North Shore Hospital which the board says are being actively addressed.

"Each year 75,000 people attend the ECCs at North Shore and Waitakere hospitals," Mr Dyer says. "And the key to achieving the government health target is to have a well staffed emergency department, enough inpatient beds and a very efficient and streamlined patient process.

"Our new Lakeview development at North Shore Hospital, already funded, under construction and due for completion in 2011, includes a completely redesigned emergency department and separate 50-bed assessment and diagnostic unit which will help address these issues and the increasing demands caused by our growing population," he says.

- © Fairfax NZ News