District Health Boards across the country have been trying to keep up with their backlog following a "relentless series of external factors". Photo / NZME
District Health Boards across the country have been trying to keep up with their backlog following a "relentless series of external factors". Photo / NZME
Lakes District Health Board has requested $3 million in funding to help it achieve national targets for elective services.
It comes as New Zealand's DHBs reveal they need to spend millions to meet the targets and address growing waiting lists.
The information was provided in recovery plans sent to theMinistry of Health last year and estimated how quickly delays for planned care, including elective procedures, could be reduced.
The Ministry released the information under the Official Information Act.
Rotorua and Taupō Hospitals are part of the Lakes DHB.
Dental was significantly short of its goal and had 56 patients waiting longer for treatment.
Elsewhere, 403 BOPDHB patients were waiting longer than the required timeframe — within four months — for their first specialist assessment.
A further 614 patients have not been treated in the required timeframe either.
In the plan sent to the Ministry, Lakes DHB applied for separate ministry funding for just under $3.2m to ensure it could eliminate the backlog.
"Application for separate ministry funding is being made for general surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, paediatric surgery, general medicine procedures, ear nose and throat and gynaecology.
"We are also seeking funding for dental surgery, which is a major equity issue with the majority of patients being treated being Māori."
Subcontracting surgery to Southern Cross Rotorua was a planned action as well as seeking additional general surgery sessions.
Lakes DHB said its relationship with Southern Cross Hospital, the only private hospital in Rotorua, was sound.
"We are in discussions around a standing agreement where volumes can be easily subcontracted dependent on industrial action and additional funding made available."
Southern Cross Healthcare chief operating officer Chris White said it always provided assistance if it was needed.
"We've been in touch with Lakes DHB to offer support, which extends to during any industrial action, and our Southern Cross hospital in Rotorua has capacity to treat some patients if requested.
"There has been a small increase in the number of DHB surgeries performed at Southern Cross Hospital Rotorua in recent years."
Budget 2020 allocated nearly $283 million over three years to specifically help address waiting lists, and 61 capital projects have been funded, including new equipment and theatre space.
Rotorua Southern Cross Hospital. Photo / NZME
Billions more have been pledged for a wider upgrade of health facilities - Treasury has estimated about $14b will need to be invested over a decade.
Sarah Dalton, executive director of the doctors' union, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, told the Herald the findings reflected a lack of action on long-standing problems, including staffing shortages, and the "parlous" state of hospital infrastructure.
"None of this is a quick fix. But people are paying for this with their health and wellbeing ... it is just shameful in a country like New Zealand that people might go blind for lack of timely care."
The Rotorua Daily Post has sought an update on the current waiting lists from BOPDHB and Lakes DHB.
