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Health Targets

Quarterly Reports


A summary from the Director-General of Health, detailed information on national progress towards the 10 Health Targets as well as progress for the individual DHBs is provided below:

Summary from the Director-General of Health, Stephen McKernan


All the country’s district health boards continued to make progress against their target priority areas in the third quarter.

That steady progress contributed to overall improvements in services, and translates to better health care and better health outcomes.

After nine months, the health targets programme is showing capacity to really improve systems performance by establishing clear and manageable priorities and increasing collaboration within the health sector.

I would like to highlight, in particular, the significant progress made in reducing smoking rates amongst young people and the number of avoidable hospital admissions for children under five. This is important because smoking kills about 5000 people in New Zealand every year, and is also a major cause of heart disease, strokes and a number of cancers.

A decline in the number of avoidable hospital admissions, on the other hand, shows easier access and effectiveness of primary health care services.

In tobacco control, performance exceeded both targets and expectations.
  • The number of 14 to 15-year-old students who have never smoked rose 3.4 per cent to 57.2 per cent in 2007, exceeding the targeted two per cent increase.
  • The target for the proportion of homes with children and smokers that have a no-smoking policy was also met, with an increase from 70 per cent to 75.1 per cent over the same period.
We are optimistic the decline in smoking rates will continue, given ongoing initiatives such as the pictorial warnings and its accompanying social marketing campaign and DHBs’ efforts to increase smoking cessation rates.

We have also significantly reduced the number of avoidable hospital admissions for children under five. The latest 12-month national data show that avoidable hospital admissions for this vulnerable group dropped by almost 10 per cent across all ethnic groups as of September 2007.

It’s great to see the commitment and enthusiasm of DHBs to do better each quarter. The steady progress we have achieved in the past nine months is clear evidence of how focused action by DHBs can make a difference.

Target champions are well advanced in discussions with DHBs for 2008/09 targets, and the emerging consensus is to aim higher.

National progress overview - Quarters One, Two and Three 2007/08


The table below provides an overview of national progress towards the targets in the last three quarters.

For summaries from the target champions and data for each quarter on each target click on the target name in the table.
Health Target
National Indicator
Quarter One
Quarter Two
Quarter Three
Improving Immunisation CoverageNinety-five percent of two-year-olds are fully immunised.

With at least 4 to 6 percent point increase on 2005 national immunisation coverage survey baselines.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Improving Oral HealthProgress is made towards 85 percent adolescent oral health utilisation.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Improving Elective ServicesEach DHB will maintain compliance in all Elective Services Patient Flow Indicators (ESPIs). (These indicators measure how well a hospital manages the patient ‘flow’ through the system.)

Each DHB will set an agreed increase in the number of elective service discharges, and will provide the level of service agreed.
Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.


Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.


Reducing Cancer Waiting TimesAll patients in category A, B and C wait less than eight weeks between first specialist assessment and the start of radiation oncology treatment (excludes category D patients).
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Reducing Ambulatory Sensitive (Avoidable) Hospital AdmissionsThere will be a decline in admissions to hospital that are avoidable or preventable by primary health care for those aged 0 to 74 years across all population groups.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Improving Diabetes ServicesThere will be an increase in the percentage of people in all population groups:
  • estimated to have diabetes accessing free annual checks
  • on the diabetes register who have good diabetes management
  • on the diabetes register who have had retinal screening in the past two years.

There will be improved equity for all population groups in relation to diabetes management.
Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a x (cross) sign that signifies that DHBs are not on track - detailed explaination is provided next to the image.
*
Improving Mental Health Services
At least 90 percent of long-term clients have up-to-date relapse prevention plans (NMHSS criteria 16.4).
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Improving Nutrition, Increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Obesity DHB activity supports achievement of these health sector targets.
  • Increase the proportion of infants exclusively and fully breastfed at six weeks to 74 percent or greater; at three months to 57 percent or greater; and at six months to 27 percent or greater.
  • Increase the proportion of adults (15+ years) eating three or more servings of vegetables per day to 70 percent or greater.
  • Increase the proportion of adults eating two or more servings of fruit per day to 62 percent or greater.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.


Image of an equals sign - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.


Reducing the Harm Caused by Tobacco DHB activity supports achievement of these health sector targets:
  • Increase the proportion of ‘never smokers’ among Year 10 students by at least 2 percent (absolute increase) over 2007/08.
  • Increase the proportion of homes, which contain one or more smokers and one or more children, that have a smokefree policy to over 75 percent in 2007/08.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.

Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.

Reducing the Percentage of the Health Budget Spent on the Ministry of Health The percentage of the health budget spent on the Ministry of Health is reduced to 1.65 percent of the total Vote Health operating budget by the end of 2009/10.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.
Image of a tick - see key below the table for detailed information on what this means.

Key

Image of a tick that signifies that DHBs are on track - detailed explaination is provided next to the image.

On track - majority of DHBs are making appropriate progress towards the target.
Image of an equals sign that signifies that DHBs are making progress - detailed explaination is provided next to the image.

Progress made - there are data issues or there are some issues in making progress towards the target.
Image of a x (cross) sign that signifies that DHBs are not on track - detailed explaination is provided next to the image.

Not tracking to target - majority of DHBs are not making appropriate progress towards the target.
*

No report required for quarter three. This quarter has been devoted to ensuring DHBs are able to collect data from PHOs and report the Diabetes Services’ Health Target measures consistently.

Note: Some Q1 and Q2 data has been updated since their original publication due to new information received from DHBs.

Individual DHB Progress Reports


Specific information on each DHB's progress towards the targets is provided on their individual pages. You can access them on the Targets by DHB page.Page last updated: 18 July 2008


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