District Health Board still struggling in targets

Phil Cammish, District Health Board CEO.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board has released its health target results for its third quarter encompassing January, February and March this year.

The targets focussed on shorter stays in the emergency department; improved access to elective (planned) surgery; shorter waits for cancer treatment; increased immunisation; better help for smokers to quit; and more heart and diabetes checks.

The board reached 93 or a goal of 95 per cent for shorter ED stays, an improvement on 92 and 90 per cent for the two past quarters.

Chief executive Phil Cammish said: "This result has been achieved despite continually high and increasing numbers of patients accessing both Tauranga and Whakatane EDs.

The district health board continued to reach 100 per cent of its goal for shorter waits for cancer treatment.

It only reached 87 per cent of a national immunisation target of 90 per cent - relates to eight-month-olds having their primary course of immunisation at six weeks, three months and five months on time by July 2014 and 95 per cent by December 2014.

The board traditionally fails to reach the immunisation target and reached the same 87 per cent last quarter.

"The BOPDHB's attention remains focused on further improving this performance and significant efforts are being made across our provider networks to collectively achieve against the 90 per cent target by 30 June 2014."

It reached 90 per cent of offering patients help to quite smoking. The target is 95 per cent.

More information of these targets is available at the Ministry of Health website.