Auditors lift Waikato DHB's performance

Audit New Zealand has lifted Waikato District Health Board's service performance an unprecedented two grades[1] from 'poor' last financial year to 'good' this year and its management control environment one grade from 'needs improvement' to 'good'.

The most significant improvement by Waikato DHB was the development of the output and impact performance measures, Audit NZ says in its report to the board for the year ended 30 June 2011.

Waikato DHB's statement of intent is of good length, easy to read and provided the reader with information of what the DHB was trying to achieve for its 365,700 people, Audit NZ says.

Areas of concern from last year had also improved including the number of staff with more than the maximum annual entitlement of 240 hours per annum dropping to 824 staff, compared to 1263 the previous year.

Chief financial officer Maureen Chrystall said there was no way Waikato DHB should rest on its laurels.

"Maintaining a good status is way harder than getting there in the first place. We need to be vigilant, have fast remedial action if there is an issue and continue to monitor where anything is impacted by change."

Waikato DHB's annual report for July 1, 2010 to 30 June, 2011 is published on its website tomorrow www.waikatodhb.health.nz/annualreport.

The operating surplus of $10.6 million on revenue of $1.093 billion was an excellent result, board chair Graeme Milne said in the annual report.

"We need every dollar of these surpluses to fund the significant capital programme focused around Waikato Hospital."

The $500 million redevelopment of the Waiora Waikato hospital campus in Hamilton is at its height with stage one of the $130 million Meade Clinical Centre scheduled to open in less than 40 weeks.

"It will transform the heart of the campus when finished but its build will be quite disruptive to services for the next couple of years," said Mr. Milne.

"That we provided quality care in amongst the multiple challenges is a tribute to chief executive Craig Climo and his executive team who remained dedicated and focused. Their leadership is impressive.

"It is our job as a team to improve frontline services and to operate within the approved financial budget. We must continue to focus on improving productivity and thereby get the best value for the health dollars New Zealand's taxpayers make available to us," said Mr Milne.

[1] Explanation of grades - Very good (no improvements are necessary), good (improvements would be beneficial and we recommend that the DHB address these), needs improvement (improvements are necessary and we recommend that the DHB address these at the earliest reasonable opportunity, poor (major improvements are required and we recommend that the DHB urgently address these).

ENDS