Download Faster cancer treatment health target

What are the overall quarter two 2014/15 health target results?
Nationally, the quarter two 2014/15 results show two health targets have been met Improved access to elective surgery (107 percent against a target of 100 percent)
and the hospital component of the Better help for smokers to quit targets (95 percent
against a target of 95 percent).
How did each health target perform?
Shorter stays in emergency departments
National performance in the Shorter stays in emergency department (ED) target is
94.3 percent, an increase of 1.6 percent compared to quarter one and the same
result as quarter two 2013/14. Achievement against the target this quarter is despite
there being an increase of 3,741 presentations to the ED nationally when compared
to the same quarter in 2013/14. Eleven district health boards (DHBs) met the target.
Improved access to elective surgery
The national Improved access to elective surgery health target has been achieved
with 84,022 elective surgical discharges provided, against a year-to-date target of
78,581. This is 5441 (6.9 percent) more than planned. Twelve DHBs are 5 percent or
more ahead of their quarter two target and three DHBs are behind plan.
Faster cancer treatment
This is the first quarter of public reporting of the Faster cancer treatment health
target results. The national result for the quarter of 65.8 percent covers those
patients who received their first cancer treatment between July and December 2014.
The Ministry is continuing to monitor DHB performance against the previous cancer
health target, Shorter waits for cancer treatment. In quarter two, one patient from
Northland DHB did not receive treatment within four weeks due to an administrative
error.
Increased immunisation
The national coverage result for infant immunisation at eight-months of age was 93.5
percent, an increase of 1.2 percent on quarter one and the highest coverage that has
ever been achieved for any immunisation health target (note the rounded result will
be published as 94 percent). Eight DHBs met the target with at least 95 percent of
eight-month-olds fully immunised by December 2014. A further ten DHBs had
coverage at or above 90 percent.
Better help for smokers to quit
Results for the Better help for smokers to quit primary care target shows national
performance has increased to 88.6 percent. This is a 0.2 percent increase
compared with last quarter. Nine DHBs achieved the 90 percent primary care target.
The Better help to smokers to quit hospital target was achieved for the eighth
consecutive quarter with a result of 95.1 percent, a 0.4 percent increase on quarter
one. Seventeen DHBs achieved the 95 percent target.
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More heart and diabetes checks
The national quarter two result for the More heart and diabetes checks target is
87.0 percent, an increase of 1.3 percent on last quarter’s result. Six DHBs achieved
the 90 percent target and a further ten DHBs had results at or above 85 percent.
Faster cancer treatment health target
What is the new cancer health target?
The new Faster cancer treatment health target is that 85 percent of patients receive
their first cancer treatment (or other management) within 62 days of being referred
with a high suspicion of cancer and a need to be seen within two weeks by July
2016, increasing to 90 percent by June 2017.
Why has the new cancer health target been introduced?
The previous Shorter waits for cancer treatment health target focused on waiting
times for chemotherapy and radiotherapy and has been consistently achieved by all
DHBs.
The new target is broader, covering the test and investigations needed to confirm a
diagnosis of cancer, through to all forms of treatment. This allows us, for the first
time, to monitor the whole journey for a cancer patient, from first referral to first
treatment.
The target sits alongside a wide range of activities to ensure continued improvement
in the quality of cancer services and provides DHBs and the Ministry of Health with
an additional tool to monitor and increase that progress.
Why is performance for the Faster cancer treatment health target being based
on six months rolling data?
The Faster cancer treatment health target applies to a specific group of patients who
are referred through a managed, outpatient pathway with a high suspicion of cancer
and a need to be seen within two weeks. Focusing on this group presents the
greatest opportunity to improve the cancer pathway, from referral to first treatment,
and make improvements that benefit all cancer patients.
In recognition that the Faster cancer treatment health target covers a defined subset
of cancer patients, and to mitigate the impact of low volumes on health target
achievement, public reporting on the target is being based on six-months rolling
data.
This means that the results published for quarter two 2014/15, reflects performance
for patients who received their first cancer treatment between 1 July and 31
December 2014.
For more information on the new cancer target refer to
http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/health-targets/about-healthtargets/health-targets-faster-cancer-treatment
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