All the country’s District Health Boards are on track to achieve 9 out of 10 of their annual health targets said Health Minister David Cunliffe today.

“Although we are only halfway through the year, overall progress across the target areas has been extremely good, with the one black spot being diabetes”

“Working toward these targets has been quite a challenge, but the second quarter results show that concerted action can make a great deal of difference."

“It’s a tribute to the commitment within the health sector that we have been able to further improve the delivery of services and health outcomes for New Zealanders," he added.

Launched last July, the ten health targets represent priority areas for health improvement. These targets include improving immunisation coverage, reducing cancer waiting times, improving nutrition, increasing physical activity and reducing obesity, and reducing the percentage of the health budget spent on the Ministry of Health.

Highlights of the second quarter update include:

• 80 per cent of patients with cancer started treatment in less than four weeks in September 2007 (the best result ever achieved in New Zealand)

• About 8500 people (64 per cent) with long-term mental illness have treatment and relapse prevention plans, up from 2804 (35 per cent) the year before.        

Although the number of people availing of the free annual diabetes checks continues to increase, there are persistent challenges in increasing access to the Get Checked programme.

“I reaffirm my commitment to waging war on diabetes and obesity in the months ahead “David Cunliffe said.

The second quarterly report on progress towards the health targets is available on the Ministry website: (http://www.moh.govt.nz/healthtargets).

Background information: Second quarter update on the health targets

1) Reducing cancer waiting times: Eighty per cent of patients with cancer started radiotherapy treatment in less than four weeks in September 2007 (the best result ever achieved in New Zealand); about 96 per cent of patients in categories A, B and C were treated within eight weeks between first specialist assessment and the start of radiation oncology treatment in December 2007. The fourth category is combined with other cancer treatments (eg with chemotherapy) and cannot be easily included in the targets.

2) Improving mental health services: About 8500 people (64 per cent) with long-term mental illness have treatment and relapse prevention plans as of December 2007, up from 2804 (35 per cent) the year before.

3) Reducing ambulatory sensitive (avoidable) hospital admissions: The latest 12-month national data on ambulatory sensitive hospital admissions ending June 2007 shows a reduction of 1663 admissions compared with the base 12-month period ending September 2006.

4) Improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, reducing obesity: A number of activities will be launched in coming months to support existing initiatives aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates and consumption of vegetables and fruits.

5) Improving elective services: Fifteen of the 21 DHBs are on track for appropriately managing patients referred to them for elective assessment or treatment. Ten DHBs were also able to deliver the agreed increase in the level of elective patient discharges.

6)Improving immunisation coverage: A four per cent increase in immunisation coverage of two-year-old children was recorded in the second quarter, bringing the national immunisation coverage to 71 per cent as of December 2007.

7) Improving oral health: DHBs continue making progress to improve adolescent oral health utilisation. This target is measured annually and the next results will be available in the first quarter of 2008/09.

8) Improving diabetes services: The Ministry and DHBs are working on a number of initiatives to get us all back on track towards meeting the national target by the end of the year.

9.) Reducing the harm caused by tobacco: By the end of the second quarter, all DHBs had been visited and were aware of the national direction for tobacco control, in particular for cessation, and the expectations regarding DHB tobacco control plans.

10) Reducing the percentage of the health budget spent on the Ministry of Health: for the year to date Ministry expenditure is 1.77 percent of the total Vote Health appropriations. The Ministry remains on track for achieving the target to reduce this to 1.65 per cent.