Health Targets

Improving Diabetes Services

What is the target?

There will be an increase in the percentage of people in all population groups estimated to have diabetes:

Accessing free annual checks
On the PHO diabetes register who have satisfactory or better diabetes management
On the PHO diabetes register who have had retinal screening in the past two years

Why is this target important?

Diabetes is a significant cause of ill health and premature death in New Zealand. The target aims to increase access to checks and management of people with diabetes, and to reduce variation amongst DHBs and population groups.

What progress has been made in 2007/08?

4066 or 5% more free annual diabetes checks than the 2007 calendar year – a total of 91,242 free annual diabetes checks. Twenty-one DHBs submitted a full set of data against which these targets can be assessed. Of these:

Northland DHB has met all its targets
Eleven DHBs met the "access" target for all ethnicities
Five DHBs met the "management" target for all ethnicities
Five DHBs met the "retinal screening" target for all ethnicities

View more information on progress towards this target in 2007/08, including graphs, on the Improving Diabetes Target Quarterly Reports page.

Specific information on each DHB's progress towards their local targets is provided on their individual pages. You can access them on the Targets by DHB page.

What has helped this achievement?

Despite rapid increases in diagnosed diabetes, the number of people with cardiovascular or diabetes complications has not increased in the last six years. An additional target has been included in 08/09 for testing cardiovascular disease – it is part of the national initiative to improve quality of diabetes treatment. Other initiatives include:

Diabetes indicators will be included as indicators in the Primary Health Organisation (PHO) Performance Programme which provides funding for improving quality and outcomes.
Wider communication about the range of initiatives for people with diabetes using podcasts and other media
The information systems to support improving access to retinal screening (to prevent blindness) are being enhanced with electronic reporting of results.
The Long Term Conditions Framework Team is consulting to develop improved frameworks for people with diabetes and other long term conditions, in accordance with recommendations by the National Health Committee on in their report titled 'Meeting the needs of people with chronic conditions'.

Who is the Ministry of Health champion of this target?

Dr Sandy Dawson, Chief Clinical Advisor

Related information

In this section:
Targets by DHB
Improving Diabetes Services Success Story

In other sections in this website:
Diabetes section

Page last updated: 12 October 2008