Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has today published its first quarterly results for the five health targets, covering the period 1 July – 30 September 2024.
Chief Clinical Officer Dr Richard Sullivan says it is heartening to see the health system begin to stabilise.
“Today’s results show that we are making real progress on our commitment to deliver quality, compassionate, affordable healthcare, at the right time, in the right place.”
“Winter is always a challenging time for our health system, and we expect to see a drop in performance between Q4 and Q1. Despite the usual winter pressures, including over 18,000 additional attendances to our EDs compared to the same time last year, performance across four of the five health targets remained relatively stable this quarter.
“Seeing gradual improvement in our efforts to provide faster cancer treatment is encouraging, with more patients receiving their first treatment within 31 days than in the previous quarter.
“We also saw improvements to shorter wait times for elective treatment, while the number of patients waiting less than 6 hours in our EDs was stable compared to winter last year.
“At the same time, we provided more care to New Zealanders than ever before. During this quarter, approximately 12,000 more New Zealanders attended a first specialist assessment than the same period last year.
“We know there is still work to do to improve childhood immunisation rates, which continue to decline. Health NZ is working closely with healthcare providers to make it easier for families to access vaccinations and ensure children receive their full vaccinations by 24-months-old.”
This is the first release of reporting against the health targets following the publication of our high-level implementation plans to achieve them. These plans include annual milestones to ensure we meet the targets by 2030.
The results released today show:
- Faster cancer treatment: 84.6 per cent of patients are currently receiving cancer management within 31 days of the decision to treat. The 24/25 milestone is 86 per cent.
- Improved immunisation for children: 75.7 per cent of children are fully immunised at 24 months of age. The 24/25 milestone is 84 per cent.
- Shorter stays in emergency departments: 67.5 per cent of patients are currently admitted, discharged, or transferred from an ED within six hours. The 24/25 milestone is 74 per cent.
- Shorter wait times for first specialist assessment: 61.2 per cent of patients are currently waiting less than four months for a first specialist assessment (FSA): The 24/25 milestone is 62 per cent.
- Shorter wait times for treatment: 62.2 per cent of patients are currently waiting less than four months for elective treatment. The 24/25 milestone is 63 per cent.
“We acknowledge there is still a long way to go to reduce variation in performance across our hospitals. Some of our hospitals have already met the 24/25 milestones and are close to delivering on the targets, while others have work to do,” says Dr Sullivan.
“Our relentless focus on improvement so New Zealanders receive the best care and support, regardless of where they live, is driving our collective efforts. We know it can be done, as some hospitals are already demonstrating, and we are committed to achieving this across the rest of the country.”
Being transparent with New Zealanders about how we are tracking against the targets ensures we stay accountable and continue to drive improved performance.
In between quarterly reports, Health NZ will be monitoring performance using operational data. This means we can act quickly to address challenges and move resource to where it is needed most.
“Many people and teams across the health workforce will be crucial to achieving the milestones each year and delivering on the targets by 2030. Together, we are committed to improving patient care, streamlining services, and building a healthcare system that serves everyone,” says Dr Sullivan.