Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman
Minister of Health

11 August 2015

27% more operations for Tairawhiti patients

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says more patients in Tairawhiti DHB are receiving the elective surgeries they need compared to seven years ago.

“Delivering more elective surgeries has been a priority for this Government,” says Dr Coleman.

“In the last financial year 2,185 Tairawhiti patients received elective surgery, compared to 1,715 in 2007/2008. That’s a 27 percent increase.

“These improvements are a credit to the hard working health professionals in Tairawhiti.”

Tairawhiti DHB’s funding has increased by $32 million over the last seven years, including $3 million in new money for this year, taking it to a total of $159 million for 2015/16.

That funding increase is supported from the $400 million invested into health this year in Budget 2015.

“We have committed to investing around $1.7 billion in health over the next four years for new initiatives and to meet cost pressures and population growth,” says Dr Coleman.

“This includes $98 million to provide more New Zealanders with timely elective surgery, and to improve the prevention and treatment of orthopaedic conditions.

“This Government inherited a wasteful and inefficient system which did not deliver what New Zealanders required.

“In contrast, we have set clear health targets and lifted elective surgeries nationwide by 42 percent, from 117,954 in 2007/2008, to 167,188 in 2014/2015.”

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