Health Targets Lift Nationally, but District Gaps Remain Wide

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora says all five health targets improved on last year, but March-to-June figures show wide gaps between districts.

The five measures are cancer treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat, emergency department stays within six hours, elective treatment — planned operations and procedures — within four months, a first appointment with a specialist within four months, and childhood immunisation by age two, according to the release reported by RNZ. Health NZ said all five improved nationally on the year before.

For elective treatment, Wairarapa and MidCentral saw 95 percent of patients treated within four months. In Northland and Southern, more than 40 percent waited longer than four months. The measure is the same in each district. The results are not.

The same pattern shows in first specialist assessments. In Northland and Southern, more than 40 percent of patients did not get a first appointment within four months. South Canterbury saw 96 percent within target, and Lakes saw 85 percent. More appointments are being done. An earlier quarterly update put first assessments at 179,816 for the quarter, up from 167,917 in the same quarter the year before.

Emergency department results were split compared with the previous quarter. Half of the country's emergency departments improved on waits. Half declined. Palmerston North Hospital had the lowest rate in the latest data, with 55 percent of patients processed within six hours, down on the last quarter. Capital and Coast had the second-lowest rate at 63 percent, an improvement on the last quarter. West Coast, South Canterbury and Tai Rāwhiti had the best rates, with 90 percent seen within six hours.

Childhood immunisation was below target in every district, while the national rate moved up. Thirteen districts improved and seven declined in the March-to-June figures, Health NZ said. Tai Rāwhiti and Northland had the lowest coverage, with about 66 percent of children fully immunised by their second birthday. Capital and Coast had the highest, with about 90 percent. The national rate improved 1.7 percent year on year. The government's target is 95 percent of children immunised at 24 months of age.

For cancer treatment within a month of a decision to treat, Waikato reached 96 percent, above the government's 90 percent target. Wairarapa, Lakes, Taranaki, Tai Rāwhiti, Bay of Plenty and South Canterbury were also in the 90s. West Coast had the lowest rate at about 78 percent.

The Ministry of Health says the targets are intended to support better health outcomes and improve the performance of health services, according to the Ministry. Under the Beehive's All-of-Government framework, the lead Minister is directly responsible for two measures, shorter stays in emergency departments and shorter waits for elective treatment. Health NZ publishes district and national results on its official Health targets performance page, which most recently listed January-to-March results before this release.

The broader context here is that national averages have lifted while district results have pulled apart across four access measures. Electives and first assessments track together in Northland and Southern. Emergency performance is weakest in two large North Island hospitals and strongest in three smaller services. Immunisation is strongest in the capital and weakest in the far north and east coast. The question now is where pressure from the targets turns into more appointments and faster care, and where it does not.