Southland District Health Board ranks high

BY AMY MILNE

The Southland District Health Board has been ranked as one of the best in the country for having good access to core services under the Health Ministry's inaugural quarterly performance review of district health boards.

The review, released yesterday, ranks how each of the 21 health boards met targets in six key areas, including patients being admitted to the emergency department, discharged or transferred to other services within six hours of their arrival, and improving access to elective surgery and cancer treatments.

Southland achieved good marks for improving access to elective surgery, for cancer treatment and for decreasing emergency department waiting times to ensure all patients admitted were discharged or transferred within six hours of arrival.

Southland also continued to have one of New Zealand's highest rates of immunisation coverage for two-year-olds, with the health board ranking third in the country.

Southland District Health Board chief operating officer Lexie O'Shea said the pleasing results had been achieved thanks to the staff and their commitment to improving health outcomes for Southlanders.

However, she acknowledged the results were only the first quarter's and said the challenge would be maintaining those targets.

"We will continue to strive to improve in these areas."

Areas such as the emergency department and elective surgery could be fluid and fluctuate significantly depending on demand, Mrs O'Shea said.

It was important the public helped to keep waiting times in the emergency department down by using it for emergencies only, she said.

Other areas for the board to improve its data recording were providing smokers admitted to hospital with help and advice to quit.

Meanwhile, neighbouring health board Otago has been given some of the lowest rankings in the country and has not achieved its targets overall.

Health Minister Tony Ryall has said the public want accountability from health boards and are entitled to know how well their health services are delivering.

"Public scrutiny helps improve performance and accountability. That is why, for the first time, we are letting people know how their DHBs are doing in key areas."

HOW THEY PERFORMED
The Southland District Health Board's scorecard:

• Improved access to elective surgery – 11th (102 per cent, target 100)
• Shorter stays in emergency departments – 5th (96 per cent, target 95)
• Shorter waits for cancer treatment/radiotherapy – 1st equal (100 per cent, target 100)
• Increased immunisation – 3rd (90 per cent, target 85)
• Better help for smokers to quit – 3rd (27 per cent, target 80)
• Better diabetes, cardiovascular services – 13th (64 per cent, no specific target set)

The Otago DHB's scorecard:

• Improved access to elective surgery – 21st ( -- 6 per cent , target 100)
• Shorter stays in emergency departments – 17th (70 per cent, target 95)
• Shorter waits for cancer treatment/radiotherapy – 1st equal (100 per cent, target 100)
• Increased immunisation – 9th (87 per cent, target 85) wBetter help for smokers to quit – 11th (15 per cent, target 80)
• Better diabetes, cardiovascular services – 13th (65 per cent)

Otago DHB's delivery is under-reported because of a change in patient management system leading to problems submitting data to national collections.

- © Fairfax NZ News