Canterbury performing well on health targets despite all

Wednesday, 31 August 2011, 9:26 am
Press Release: Canterbury District Health Board

Canterbury continues to perform well on health targets despite ongoing Disruptions

The Canterbury Health System continues to perform well across all services despite ongoing disruptions caused by earthquakes and snow this year. Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) chief executive David Meates has congratulated the continuous efforts staff have made in achieving the Ministry of Health targets.

Mr Meates says despite an abnormally disruptive year, Canterbury has managed a shortfall of only 3.3 percent elective surgery cases – down 504 cases on its 2010/2011 Ministry of Health target of 15,478 cases.

“This is a remarkable achievement given everything our health system has been through last financial year,” he says.

“After February 22 we had agreed with the Ministry to have a shortfall of about 740 cases. But we’ve done better than that – and it’s a real credit to those who have worked hard to ensure people waiting for surgery get the treatment they need.” Other achievements across the organisation include the Emergency Department’s efforts in achieving the health target of 95 percent of patients leaving ED within six hours for four consecutive months.

Despite the ongoing consequential impacts of the earthquakes, the CDHB achieved 99.53 percent of the Shorter Waits for Cancer Treatment Radiotherapy with only one patient waiting three days longer than four week target as a direct result of the earthquake.

Health targets are a priority for the Canterbury Health System, which has proved it continues to make every effort, even in adversity, to maintain them. Canterbury General Practices have also made a significant contribution to the health targets during the disruptive earthquake period.

The national health target for child immunisation is 90 percent and despite the dislocation of our population this health target has been achieved – an impressive result given the challenges that have been faced since the February earthquake. The diabetes detection and follow-up result for the year was 53 percent (1 percent above target), and cardiovascular disease risk assessment was 71 percent (only 2 percent below target).

Pegasus Health Senior Clinical Leader Dr Simon Wynn-Thomas says this has been achieved despite a number of general practices being displaced, earthquake damaged, or affected by liquefaction.

“It is an amazing accomplishment at a time of huge stress. Particularly also as a number of General Practice staff suffered severe damage to their homes or have even lost their homes completely,” Dr Wynn-Thomas says.

General practice teams have been excellent, supporting each other and ensuring that they are there for their patients. The earthquakes have put enormous pressure on everyone and the fact that they have done so well to achieve what they have is outstanding, he says.

ENDS

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Canterbury DHB

CDHB

Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is a Christchurch, New Zealand based hospital and healthcare provider for the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Our region extends from Kekerengu in the North, to Rangitata in the South and Arthurs Pass in the West and comprises the six Territorial Local Authorities of Kaikoura, Hurunui, Waimakariri, Christchurch City, Selwyn and Ashburton.

We collaborate with other health and disability organisations, stakeholders and our community to decide what health and disability services are needed and how to best use the funding we receive from Government to improve, promote and protect the health, wellbeing and independence of our population.

At the Canterbury DHB, our vision is to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Canterbury.

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