Six key health targets are released every quarter, in league tables, by the Ministry of Health, so the public can compare DHBs.
Southern was 17th, of 20 district health boards, for emergency department wait times for the first quarter of 2010-11. It achieved 77% of the target, which is that 95% of patients be seen, discharged, or transferred within six hours. Southern's result beat that of Auckland and Capital and Coast.
Last time Otago was last equal of 21 district health boards, on 74%, compared with Southland, in 14th place, on 85%.
Southern District Health Board chief executive Brian Rousseau said the emergency department results were "not good enough". The board was determined to do better. Initiatives were in place in both southern centres, and he was disappointed they had not borne fruit already.
He acknowledged that individually Southland's result for emergency department wait times had been better than Otago, but said Southland's performance was not "flash" either.
What pleased Mr Rousseau was the board's immunisation result, in which the board was third equal with Canterbury on 92%, the target being 90% of 2-year-olds to be fully immunised by July 2011.
Mr Rousseau said while it was not listed on yesterday's tables, the board's result for Maori immunisation was even more impressive, with 95.6% of children immunised.
Last time, Southland was first for immunisation, and Otago third.
Mr Rousseau said that in immunisation, along with elective surgery and cancer treatment, the board performed well, in the top three.
Southern was second equal with Whanganui and Wairarapa for improving access to elective surgery, the target being to increase the volume by an average of 4000 discharges a year.
Last time, Southland was second for elective surgery volume increases, and Otago 11th equal.
In cancer treatment, Southern was one of 18 boards to meet the target for radiation wait times.
Mr Rousseau was disappointed in the board's results for encouraging smokers to quit (14th), and better checks and management for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (15th).
