Taranaki District Health Board Health Targets 2013-2014 - Third Quarter

27 May 2014

The third quarter health targets of 2013-2014 have been released by the Ministry of Health. 
Ministry of Health - Health Targets website

The health targets results for the third quarter of 2013/14 have been released by the Ministry of Health. 

Planning, Funding, and Population Health Acting General Manager Becky Jenkins said a focus on the six key areas is important to continue to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve the quality of health services for Taranaki people.

“The targets provide a useful indication of how the Taranaki health sector is doing and continues to work together towards these goals”.

The health target results for Taranaki DHB are:

1) Shorter Stays in ED. Target 95%, Achieved 93%
We are disappointed to have dropped below the target with 93% of patients seen in ED admitted or transferred from the ED within six hours. The number of patients presenting to the ED with minor injuries and illnesses continue to impact on the overall ED services and timeliness of treatment.  TDHB is actively working with the Midland Health Network to look at models of service delivery to support patients being seen in the most appropriate setting.   

2) Improved Access to Elective Surgery: Target 100%, Achieved 108%
The improved access to elective surgery target has been achieved, with 3376 elective surgical discharges provided, against a target of 3121 discharges.  This is 255 (8.2%) more than planned.

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

4) Increased Immunisation: Target 90%, Achieved 88%
Increasing immunisation rates are a priority in order to reduce the incidence of preventable disease in our community. We are working closely with primary care organisations, 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 (Hospital Target): Target 95%, Achieved 97%
We are working hard to ensure patients and visitors to our hospitals are given advice about quitting and are pleased to have improved on the target again this quarter. Across New Zealand 15 DHBs met the target.

Better Help for Smokers to Quit (Primary Care Target): Target 90%, Achieved 72%
During this quarter there has been continued good progress with a further 1% increasing the Primary Care target to 72%.   Primary Care in Taranaki will continue to work to support the ongoing improvement to achieve the ‘Better help for smokers to quit’ target of 90%.

6) More Heart and Diabetes Checks: Target 90%, Achieved 81 %
Taranaki DHB continues to work with the Midlands Health Network to provide the best outcomes for people living with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.  The implementation of a multidisciplinary team to support the care provided by GP Practices and Taranaki DHB funding MHN to enable access to ongoing education for GP’s and Practice nurses in the care and management of diabetic patients in the community are just two examples.  Diabetes and cardiovascular disease continue to be among the main causes of ill health in Taranaki.  This is an increase of 1% on the quarter two results.

Last updated: Tuesday, May 27, 2014