Taranaki District Health Board Health Targets 2011-2012 - Fourth Quarter

30 August 2012

The fourth quarter health targets of 2011-2012 have been released by the Ministry of Health. 
Ministry of Health - Health Targets website

The Taranaki health sector continues to work towards the targets, which are indicative of a wider range of services and efforts in priority areas.

“We are committed to working towards achieving the targets, and recognise there are areas for improvement,” Planning and Funding, and Population Health General Manger Sandra Boardman says.

She says a focus on the six key areas is important to continue to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve the quality of health services for local people. “The targets provide a useful indication of how we are doing.”

The Health Targets are:

1) Shorter Stays in ED. Target 95%, Achieved 90%
We are disappointed to be below the target of 95% of patients seen in ED admitted or transferred from the ED within six hours. This has been an enormous effort by the Emergency Department and the whole hospital approach. Our team continues to focus on improving the flow of patients in our acute pathway work.

2) Improved Access to Elective Surgery: Target 100%, Achieved 120%
Taranaki residents received higher than planned levels of elective surgery – 120% for the quarter – with 4967 people receiving elective surgery for the 2011-12 year. Taranaki DHB had no patients waiting over six months for either First Specialist Assessment (FSA) or surgery by the end of 2011-12. This is a very pleasing result but we will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to maintain our target.

3) Shorter Waits for Cancer Treatment: Target 100%, Achieved 100%
We plan to maintain our collaborative relationship with MidCentral DHB to maintain the 100% cancer waiting time target.

4) Increased Immunisation: Target 95%, Achieved 91%
Increasing immunisation rates are a priority in order to reduce the incidence of preventable disease in our community. The DHB is working closely with the PHOs, Hospital Services, outreach immunisation services, National Immunisation Register and Well Child Providers on strategies to improve immunisation uptake including early enrolment of newborns with a general practice.

5) Better Help for Smokers to Quit: Target 95%, Achieved 90%
We continue to work hard at reaching this target. A comprehensive hospital action plan is in development to sustain and improve performance in this area.

6) More Heart and Diabetes Checks: Achieved 59%
Taranaki DHB will continue to work with the PHOs in developing their Diabetes Care Improvement Packages and Long Term Conditions programmes to meet this new target. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease continue to be among the main causes of ill health in Taranaki.

Last updated: Friday, August 31, 2012