Health targets deliver more operations
Hon Tony
Ryall
Minister of
Health
27 February 2013 Media
Statement
Health targets deliver
more operations
Health
Minister Tony Ryall congratulated health professionals for
providing New Zealanders with over 78,000 elective
operations and exceeding the government’s national health
target.
“The latest results, released today, show district health boards performed almost 4,000 more elective operations than planned in the last six months. This is a great achievement and means more New Zealanders are receiving the surgery they need faster.”
“New Zealanders continue to receive better health care as a result of the national health targets. The targets are a balance of improving access and better prevention,” says Mr Ryall.
“I’d also like to acknowledge general practice teams and wider DHB teams in progressing better services for patients.”
National highlights for
the quarter two 2012/13 health targets
include:
• Increase to 93 per cent of patients
admitted, discharged or treated in emergency departments
within six hours – an improvement compared to last quarter
and the same time last year.
• Nearly 4000 more
elective operations were performed than planned with
district health board once again exceeding the half year
target.
• All patients ready for radiotherapy and
chemotherapy cancer treatment received it within the four
week international gold standard.
• Excellent progress
is being made with the increased immunisation target – the
national immunisation coverage rate for eight-month olds has
increased by two per cent and the rates for Maori and
Pacific people has increased by five and three per cent
respectively.
• The better help for smokers to quit
hospital target has been achieved for the first time and
good progress is being made by with the primary care target
with a three per cent increase.
• While further work is
needed to achieve the more heart and diabetes check target,
the three per cent increase equates to over 36,000 more
people having their cardiovascular risk assessed.
“The government is committed to protecting and growing
the public health service. We are seeing more high priority
front line services being delivered as a result of the
government’s $14.12 billion investment in health this
financial year,” says Mr Ryall.
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