Media release health minister Tony Ryall

"The first full year of the Government's new Health Targets show District Health Boards are delivering more frontline services for our significant investment in the public health service," Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

"We're putting $512 million extra into health this year to help grow and protect the public health service."

"The release of the Health Targets shows tremendous improvement in the key areas over the past 12 months. League tables will be published in major newspapers tomorrow and in many provincial and community papers over the next few days.

Highlights include:

·        Emergency Departments are seeing more patients faster. In the last year, the number of patients admitted, discharged or transferred from an Emergency Department within six hours jumped from 81% to 87%.  

·        Elective surgery - DHBs delivered 105% of their target, with all but one meeting their individual measure. MidCentral met 96% of its target.

·        Shorter Waits for Cancer Treatment - 99% of all patients received their radiation treatment within six weeks of their first specialist assessment, against a target of 100%. In the third quarter, 11 DHBs achieved 100%, and in the 4th quarter 17 DHBs achieved 100%.

·        Increased immunisation - the national target of 85% for 2009/10 was exceeded, with 87% of New Zealand two year olds fully immunised. In the last year, Lakes DHB jumped by 22%, MidCentral by 13% and Waikato by 12%.

·        Better Help for Smokers to Quit - there were significant gains over the past year in DHB staff providing smoking cessation support to hospital patients who smoke. However there is still plenty of room to improve.  

·        Results for the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Services showed slow but steady improvement, with the biggest annual improvement by Whanganui 14% and Counties Manukau 10%.

"We are improving frontline services by both a strong focus on what matters to patients, and giving doctors and nurses more say. The Government is ensuring that the public health service is well placed to tackle the significant challenges of the future" said Mr Ryall.

A copy of the national table is attached.