Media release from health minister Tony Ryall

Health Minister Tony Ryall today congratulated MidCentral District Health Board (DHB) staff for achieving major reductions in waiting times for elective surgery.

Mr Ryall and Rangitikei MP Ian McKelvie today presented staff at the DHB with a certificate recognising their 'outstanding performance' in achieving no patients waiting over six months for surgical appointments.

Mr Ryall said that at the end of June 2011, 438 MidCentral DHB patients were waiting longer than six months for either a specialist's appointment to assess whether or not they needed treatment, or for the operation itself.

"This year they had no-one waiting longer than six months," Mr Ryall said.

"This is an impressive achievement, and it's very good for patients. Prompter treatment improves recovery and gets patients back to normal life sooner.''

Mr McKelvie said huge credit should go to MidCentral doctors, nurses and staff for their strong focus on improving frontline services for patients.

"We owe our thanks to our theatre teams and staff for their hard work and dedication towards improving health services for the people of MidCentral," Mr McKelvie said. 
Mr Ryall said that the national achievement was just as good.

"17 out of 20 DHBs have reduced their waiting times to zero patients waiting over six months for surgical appointments.

"This is remarkable, because over ten years ago there were around 45,000 people waiting over six months for a surgical appointment.  Now, excluding Canterbury DHB, there are 150.'

"This is also the fourth year of record increases in the number of elective operations under National. An extra 7,500 patients across the country received elective surgery in the last 12 months, meaning 153,000 people got the operations they needed.

"MidCentral DHB should also be congratulated for exceeding their elective surgeries target in 2011/12. The DHB provided 6,257 elective surgeries, 329 or six per cent ahead of their plan."