3. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Hunua) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What reports has he received related to district health boards delivering on the Government’s six health targets?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
I have received a report that shows that after 1 full year since launching the Government’s top six health targets, real progress is being made in all six targets. In relation to immunisation, the goal was for 85 percent of 2-year-olds to be immunised by July this year. I am pleased to advise that the number of 2-year-olds fully immunised has risen from 81 percent this time last year to 87 percent of 2-year-olds being fully immunised at the end of June this year.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
Can the Minister advise what the year-end results have been for the remaining health targets?
Emergency departments are seeing more people faster. In the last year the number of patients admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within 6 hours has jumped to 87 percent. Stand-outs include Hawke’s Bay, up 19 percent; Waitematā and Capital and Coast, up 13 percent; and Waikato, up 16 percent. On the target of cancer radiation treatment within 6 weeks, district health boards achieved the standard for 99 percent of patients, a major improvement on the last quarter. The number of people given help to quit smoking has risen from 17 percent to 57 percent, and the percentage of patients receiving better diabetes and cardiovascular services has also risen. These targets show that patients are getting better front-line services.
Hon Ruth DysonHow many of the health targets does the Minister expect Capital and Coast District Health Board to fail to meet next year, given that the chief executive has just resigned, citing more cuts to front-line health services?
I expect Capital and Coast District Health Board to continue to do well in the health targets, reflecting the additional $57 million that this Government has put into that district health board. One of the real improvements is that the emergency department is seeing more people faster than it ever was under the Government of that failed party opposite.
Heather RoyDoes the Minister believe that the health sector could have done even better with the greater involvement of the private sector; if so, what plans, if any, does he have under way to make greater use of private provision in health? [ Interruption]
Yes, that is a very good question. Private hospitals are delivering up to nearly 10 percent of total elective surgery, and the smarter use of the private sector has actually helped us reduce the cardiac surgery waiting list quite significantly. Of course, the private sector has made a very strong contribution to immunisation rates, because primary care is mainly in the private sector, and one thing the Opposition does not like to know is that the private sector has played a very important role in making sure that 99 percent of cancer patients could get their radiation treatment within 6 weeks.