ODHB backs tables

Health Minister Tony Ryall's decision to publish tables showing whether district health boards are meeting targets has been welcomed by Otago board chairman .

"I think it is a wonderful idea, and [it] will show how well Otago does perform in relation to national standards."

If the board was shown to be "dragging the chain in some areas" it would deserve criticism, he said.

One of the targets the Otago board has been unable to meet is the requirement that 95% of patients are admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours of arriving at a hospital emergency department.

Mr Millar said it would be interesting for people to see how Otago compared with other parts of the country on this target.

Of the six health targets, which will be published in newspapers, three focus on reducing patient waiting times in public hospitals: more elective surgery, faster cancer treatment and shorter waits in emergency departments (EDs).

In response to an Otago Daily Times query, Mr Ryall's office advised that the tables were expected to be cost neutral, or close to it.

- elspeth.mclean@odt.co.nz [1]