Tue, 03 Nov 2009 5:31p.m.
Tony Ryall
District Health Boards will have to publish whether they meet government health targets in local newspapers from later this month, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.
"The Government has introduced a streamlined set of health targets, which reflect the desire to simplify what was an unnecessarily complex monitoring and reporting system," Mr Ryall said.
"Publishing the results is one way of engaging the public in how well their DHB is doing."
Of the six health targets, three focus on reducing patient waiting times in public hospitals: more elective surgery, faster cancer treatment and shorter waits in emergency departments (EDs).
The ED target aims to have 95 percent of patients admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours. Mr Ryall said the target was clinically established and made a difference to patient care.
Mr Ryall made the announcement at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital. He said the hospital had Australasia's busiest emergency department but a staff-led programme had seen the ED achieve the new target.
NZPA
