HFA Performs Well In Third Quarter

15 June 1999

Embargoed till 1am Wednesday 16 June

The latest Ministry of Health report on Health Funding Authority performance shows that it is making good progress against Government expectations.

'Overall the Authority is on track to deliver improvements to health and disability support services in priority areas,' Ministry spokesperson Peter Hughes said.

Mr Hughes, Deputy Director-General Performance Management, said it was important to realise that the report was a formal quarterly review against a number of measures specified in the authority's annual Funding Agreement with the Minister of Health, not a comprehensive review of all HFA activity.

The report, on the third quarter of the 1998/99 year, shows improved performance in several key areas.

"Particularly pleasing is steady progress on implementation of booking systems, to ensure New Zealanders have greater certainty about when they will receive their operations. In addition, the HFA is making good progress in improving mental health services,' Mr Hughes said.

The HFA is also doing good work in the child health area, but needs to do more work to identify immunisation coverage, so that initiatives can be targeted at those who are missing out.

T98, the authority's transition from four regional health authorities to a single HFA, was now complete, he said.

'But working through this process has affected the HFA's ability to respond to providers and it needs to work at improving relationships with providers at the local level'.

Over all New Zealanders are well served by the health services and programmes funded by the HFA, Mr Hughes said.

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