Wairarapa DHB mulls IT upgrade

An outdated and unsupported database at Wairarapa Hospital has been deemed a risk.

A Wairarapa Hospital database which is used to approve thousands of dollars in payments for health services needs upgrading.

The current database used by the Focus team was risky because it was outdated and unsupported, said Jan McLaren, communications adviser at Wairarapa District Health Board.

Focus (Facilitated Access to Co-ordinated Service) is responsible for organising services by different health agencies for older people and those with disabilities.

For example, they might arrange home-based physio for an older person who has an injury requiring rehabilitation.

They use the database to approve payments to different agencies on behalf of the DHB and manage patient information.

"If we don't upgrade it, people could fall through the cracks," said Ms McLaren.

The team is investigating three options for a new IT database and will recommend one to the DHB shortly.

Ms McLaren did not know what the cost could be, because the options had not been finalised yet.

West Coast DHB, which serves a slightly smaller population than Wairarapa, spent $2 million upgrading its IT system in 2006. In this year's Budget, Wairarapa DHB received $122 million for funding health, the hospital, and disability support services.