MP congratulates CMDHB on good improvements with National Health Targets
Member of Parliament for Botany, Jami-Lee Ross is pleased to see national and local progress towards achieving the Government’s health targets. The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show the Counties Manukau District Health Board has improved against four of the targets: shorter stays in Emergency Departments, improved access to elective surgery, increased immunisation and better help for smokers to quit.
“National health targets are an important tool to ensure better health services are delivered to New Zealanders. Delivering better public services is one of the Government’s four key priorities for this term. We campaigned on that platform and it is great to see it being achieved already.” Mr Ross says.
“The latest results, which cover the three months to December 2011, have shown record improvements nationwide. District Health Boards are focusing even more on patients, and in turn, patients are benefiting from the Government’s $1.5 billion extra funding over the past three years.”
Counties Manukau DHB has exceeded the target and is performing very well comparatively in two target areas. CMDHB is ranked fourth in the country when it comes to achieving shorter stays in Emergency Departments and sixth in terms of improved access to elective surgery. All DHB’s in New Zealand have reached the target to see cancer patients needing radiation treatment receive that treatment within four weeks.
During the election period, the Government also committed to updating the national health targets. Those changes will be implemented shortly and include focusing on identifying cardiovascular disease and diabetes sooner. Another change will see moving from 95 per cent of two year olds receiving their scheduled immunisations to 95 per cent of eight month olds receiving the immunisations scheduled for their age. In both cases early detection and prevention improves outcomes for patients.
“At the end of the day everyone benefits from a health system which is more efficient and effective. Whether that is through shorter waits and stays in hospital or a reduced demand on health costs from better preventative measures. It is great to see Counties Manukau District Health Board making strong gains in reaching and in some cases over-achieving the Government’s targets.” Mr Ross says.
