Additional Money For Auckland Cardiac Surgery

AUCKLAND DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD

ADHB Media Release

5 July 2009

Please attribute to Dr David Sage Chief Medical Officer, Auckland District Health Board

An additional five million dollars from the Government will enable Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) to operate on 99 patients who have waiting longer than is clinically appropriate for cardiac surgery.

“We’re very pleased with the extra money from the Government as it will allow us to offer these patients surgery within the next four months. We had already started to reduce the waiting list but not fast enough so this funding will mean by October no one will need to wait longer than 3 months for their cardiac surgery,” says Dr David Sage, Chief Medical Officer, Auckland District Health Board.

The ADHB, with the Ministry of Health, carried out an audit of its cardiac aiting list in May of this year.

“At that stage there were 141 patients who had been waiting longer than they should have been. We have worked hard since then and now the list stands at 99. However that is still too many, so the extra money is very welcome,” says Dr Sage.

The funding will be used to pay for more throughput at Auckland City Hospital as well as outsourcing to other DHBs and private hospitals.

ENDS

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