The latest results of the Government's Health Targets show 97% of Southern District Health Board patients ready for cancer radiation treatment are starting that within the four-week target.
The board is one of five which have not quite made the four-week target. The target was shortened from six weeks at the start of the year.
Across the country, 99% of patients had treatment within the new target time in the three months to the end of March, Health Minister Tony Ryall said.
All are beginning treatment within the old target time.
"Right in the middle of the period we had the Canterbury earthquake, which makes this result even more impressive.
It's a tribute to the DHBs, and the South Island regional cancer centres in particular," he said.
All the South Island boards were a few percentage points off the new four-week target.
Southern was third from the bottom of the ranking for shorter stays in its emergency departments.
The target is for 95% of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred to a hospital bed within six hours.
Southern's result for the three months to the end of March was 80%, but the most recent monthly result, for April, shows that it rose to 84.6%The Southern figure includes both Dunedin and Invercargill Hospitals, and Dunedin Hospital had been until last month consistently about 70%.
Last month, it had risen to 78.13%, but it is not expected it will rise significantly without the addition of some sort of a short-stay unit, something which is under consideration.
All the other South Island boards were among the eight across the country which achieved the emergency department target for the third quarter.
Southern exceeds the targets for vaccinations, elective surgery and is making progress on helping hospital patients to quit smoking. Its progress on the better diabetes and cardiovascular checks target is at the national average.
