Big tick for heart, diabetes efforts DHB

Bay of Plenty DHB has topped a national health report card for providing heart and diabetes checks but is failing to improve on efforts to help smokers quit.

Bay of Plenty has done better than any other health board in New Zealand for providing more heart and diabetes checks for the first quarter of the 2012/13 year. It also shone in providing improved access to elective surgery.

However, the board failed to improve on past efforts requiring better help for smokers to quit.

Previously the target among hospitals was 95 per cent and the board reached 94 per cent. This quarter that dropped to 93 per cent.

The health targets provide a snapshot of the level of performance of health services in selected areas and provide the health sector, both secondary and primary, with a clear focus for action.

Bay of Plenty Health Board chief executive Phil Cammish said he was confident that if GPs maintained the same momentum they had displayed in increasing the number of heart and diabetes checks during July, August and September, the board would reach the target of 75 per cent by July.

The latest results show the board reached 65 per cent this quarter, above the national average of 52 per cent.

The health board fell short of the 90 per cent (primary care) and 95 per cent (hospitals) targets for providing better help for smokers to quit.

"Our hospitals (Tauranga and Whakatane collectively) moved marginally downward from 94 per cent to 93 per cent in this quarter," Mr Cammish said.

"Whilst this is disappointing, the primary sector improved their performance to 44 per cent, a result that is above the national average of 39.4 per cent for the quarter."

Shorter waits for cancer treatment were now targeting radiotherapy and chemotherapy wait times and the increased immunisation target was now targeting 8-month-old babies.

The better help for smokers to quit also targeted primary care (GPs and other community providers) as well as hospitals.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said he welcomed the results that showed a focus on frontline was paying off and delivering real results.

Bay of Plenty Health Board's Performance:

• Shorter stays in emergency departments - 89 per cent, 14th (previous quarter 18th).
• Improved access to elective surgery - 117 per cent (previous quarter 105 per cent).
• Shorter waits for cancer treatment - 100 per cent (no change).
• Increased immunisation - 83 per cent, out of new target 85 per cent (previous quarter 91 per cent out of target of 95 per cent).
• Better help for smokers to quit - 93 per cent (previous quarter 94 per cent).
• More heart and diabetes checks - 65 per cent for hospitals (previous quarter 62 per cent).