"The introduction of a 62-day database which identifies those patients with a high suspicion of cancer has helped staff keep track of patients, ensuring appointments and procedures happen in a time-agreed manner."
In other targets, Lakes improved on last quarter's result to 94 per cent, one point short of the target for 8-month-olds to have their primary course of immunisation at six weeks, three months and five months, on time.
"The DHB has been supporting primary care by increasing resource in the DHB to provide outreach services for children who are late or miss their immunisations. Immunisation remains a priority health intervention for Lakes DHB to immunise our children and prevent immunisation-preventable diseases," the DHD statement said.
Lakes DHB has nudged up two points to 93 per cent for the shorter stays in the emergency department target. The target is 95 per cent of patients will be admitted, discharged or transferred from an ED within six hours, and is a measure of the efficiency of flow of acute patients through public hospitals, and home again.
"The ED team has been working on a number of initiatives to assist with the flow of acute patients including the introduction of a new clinical flow manager role, whose job is to assist with patient flow through the hospital."
This is the second quarter that the raising healthy kids target is being publicly reported.
The target is that by December 2017, 95 per cent of obese children identified in the B4 School Check (B4SC) programme will be offered a referral to a health professional for clinical assessment and family based nutrition, activity and lifestyle interventions.
Data is based on all acknowledged referrals for obese children up to the end of the quarter (31 December) from B4SCs in the six months to November 30.
"The Lakes DHB B4 School team, and B4 School nurses in the community have assessment tools for identifying these children and pathways for referring as required. Depending on the assessment of each individual child, the B4 School nurse will make a decision as to where to refer the child. The B4 School team sees well over 90 per cent of all 4-year-olds each year for the B4 school check."
Lakes has again met the better help for smokers to quit target. This target is for 90 per cent of PHO enrolled patients who smoke, have been offered help to quit smoking by a health care practitioner in the last 15 months.
In the final target - improved access to elective surgery - Lakes achieved 104 per cent, over the 100 per cent target.
Chief executive Ron Dunham is pleased to see a continued lift in health target results for Lakes DHB, and said there was considerable effort behind the results.
He said it was great to see the achievement in the faster cancer treatment target, and there had been strong teamwork and good support from Midland Cancer Network to help get to this result.
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said Lakes DHB had made good progress on the raising healthy kids target.
"Nationally, DHBs improved their performance up to 72 per cent. Lakes DHB achieved 76 per cent. Results are expected to improve each quarter as referral processes are fully implemented," he said.
"Nationally the improved access to elective surgery target was again achieved. Lakes DHB was 4 per cent above the target. The answer to increased demand is to do more - delivering more elective surgery remains a key priority.
"Lakes DHB achieved 88 per cent on the faster cancer treatment target, and met the better help for smokers to quit target. Further work is needed however on the shorter stays in ED target, and increased immunisation for 8-month-olds."
Over the last eight years Lakes DHS has received a $76 million funding increase and will receive an extra $15 million this year, taking its total funding to $322 million for 2016/17.