MDHB Health Targets continue to improve

01/03/11 | Health Targets: 2nd Quarter 2010/11

MidCentral DHB continues to make good progress toward achieving the six national Health Targets over this last quarter, ending December 2010.

More elective surgical discharges were performed, exceeding the target for the quarter; more two-year-old children were immunised, exceeding the target for the quarter; more people who were admitted to hospital and who smoke tobacco were advised to quit; and all the people needing radiation therapy during the quarter had their treatment within the expected timeframe.

Brief highlights in the latest MidCentral DHB results (PDF, 500KB) are:

Shorter Stays in Emergency Departments:
MidCentral Health continued to improve the rate at which people had shorter stays in the Emergency Department (ED) at Palmerston North Hospital. Of the 9787 people who attended ED over the three months to end December, 8555 (87.4%) were admitted, transferred or discharged within six hours (84.9% in the first quarter to end September – moving closer to the national average for all District Health Boards (88.2%).
Improved Access to Elective Surgery:
A total of 1575 MidCentral residents had an elective surgical procedure performed during the quarter ending December 2010 – 132 more than planned, and 108 more than in the first quarter (103% of target).
Shorter Waits for Cancer Treatment:
MidCentral DHB continues to achieve this target. All 252 MidCentral DHB residents needing radiotherapy received their treatment within six weeks of their specialist assessment during the quarter.
Increased Immunisation for two-year-olds:
MidCentral DHB achieved target this quarter, with 541 of 593 (91.2%) eligible two-year-old children fully immunised – a further improvement on the result for quarter one (87.3%) and just ahead of target.
Better Help for Smokers to Quit:
MidCentral DHB is making good progress toward achieving this health target, with an improved result this quarter. Of the 904 patients admitted to hospital who were identified as smokers over the three months to the end of December 2010, 604 (67%) were offered advice and help to quit smoking (59% in the previous quarter).
Better Diabetes and Cardiovascular Services:
Combined average score for three indicators – increased percent of people with diabetes attend free annual checks and have satisfactory or better management, and, increased percent of adult population have had their cardiovascular disease risk assessed in the last five years.