Hauora Tairawhiti beats surgery target, behind on immunisation and cancer

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

HAUORA Tairawhiti continues to produce elective surgery at a level above targets set by the Government.

Chief executive Jim Green, speaking at the latest board meeting, said elective discharges in January were 110 percent of target, or 136 surgeries above the target of 1405.

Mr Green said joint surgery totalled six ahead of the target but cataracts were behind by six.

First specialist appointments (FSA) were over target at 117 percent, with an additional 597 people being seen by a medical specialist.

Of the other health targets, immunisation was disappointing. The target was 95 percent of eight-months-olds to have their primary course of immunisation (at six weeks, three months and five months) on time. The Hauora Tairawhiti rate was only 90 percent at eight months.

Mr Green said there was a “particular reduction’’ at one primary health organisation (PHO) and a management plan had since been developed and implemented.

The same issue affected the target for helping smokers to quit (90 percent of PHO-enrolled patients who smoke have been offered help to quit smoking by a health care practitioner in the past 15 months), with the PHOs across the board only reaching 86 percent in January.

The faster cancer treatment target (85 percent of patients receive their first cancer treatment or other management within 62 days of being referred with a high suspicion of cancer, and a need to be seen within two weeks) totalled 71 percent in January.

Mr Green said there were seven people on the “pathway’’ in January and two did not access treatment within 62 days of referral.

Board member Rehette Stoltz pointed out that the numbers involved were so small that the percentages could be significantly effected by a few patients.