Lakes District Health Board is reporting the results of the year ending 30 June 2010 demonstrate the organisation's achievement of its long-held goal to be a clinical and financial sustainable organisation.
Board chair Stewart Edward says the 2009-10 year has been the strongest ever for Lakes DHB. During the year the organisation has provided services to more patients; staff have completed more procedures; positive inroads have been made into the six Health Targets (especially in the areas of immunisation, shorter stays in ED and smokefree); and the organisation finished the year with a positive financial result.

Stewart says the DHB's focus has been on delivering health services which are better, sooner and more convenient.

He says what makes the results all the more impressive is that they have been achieved against a backdrop of major facility changes at the Rotorua Hospital campus. The 'turning of the sod' ceremony early in October paved the way for the start of an $83 million dollar building programme, which sees the construction of a three-level inpatient building, a doubling in size of the emergency department, and the existing theatre area upgraded, with the number of theatres increased from four to five.

A new stand alone laboratory is also under construction at Rotorua Hospital, to be ready for occupation from early 2011.
Prior to construction getting underway, a number of 'enabling works' were completed, including relocating some services and moving the main hospital entrance to the other side of the site overlooking Kuirau Park.

Other achievements during the past year include:

* The successful introduction of a Convenient Care Clinic, run as a pilot from January 2010. Run as a service of Korowai Aroha Health Centre, the nurse-led clinic is located in Pukuatua Street next to the Work and Income office. The service is free and no appointment is required. Funded by the Ministry of Health to reduce inequalities, the clinic is monitored and supported by Lakes DHB. Attendances at the clinic are increasing.

* Lakes DHB has entered into an agreement with two GP practices (in Ngongotaha and Western Heights) to rent rooms that will allow more clinics to be run in the areas of smoking cessation and hearing and vision testing.

* The HEHA Maori community project resource booklet was launched in April, outlining the development of Health Eating Healthy Action for Maori in Lakes DHB. The booklet, A Special Journey, profiles some of the Community Action Programme projects which have been whanau / hapu led and focus on the needs of their individual communities. Good nutrition and regular exercise are the goals of the projects to help reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancers.

* Repatriation of Public Health Nurses - The 14 public health nurses and hearing and vision testers from Bay of Plenty DHB were successfully repatriated to Lakes DHB. This transition is an initial step to building a child and youth service that will better meet the needs of our young population and involved transferring the current staff, systems and processes.

* Rheumatic Fever Project - A community awareness campaign for Rheumatic Fever saw posters and pamphlets developed in te reo and English. A Whanau Ora coordinator was employed through Korowai Aroha for three months and coordinated a forum to bring people with Rheumatic Fever together with clinicians, to learn more about their illness. This coordinator also completed an evaluation of the administration of secondary prophylaxis and as a result district nurses changed some of their practices to meet clients' needs and wishes. A contract was secured by RAPHS to develop a region-wide Rheumatic Fever register.

* A total of $2.9million spent on replacement or upgraded clinical equipment, including radiology, ultrasound and theatre items.

* Upgrades of the patient management and financial management information systems (Total of $3.7 million investment)

* Embedding of the clinical governance structure, with managers and clinical leaders working collaboratively

* The achievement of Quality Health New Zealand accreditation for a period of four years.

* The accreditation of both the Rotorua and Taupo communities as international safe communities under the World Health Organisation programme. Lakes DHB was a signatory to both agreements.

* The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Auckland Medical School and Waikato Clinical School. This creates important opportunities for workforce sustainability, while advancing the DHB's reputation as a learning organisation.

* Reduced staff turnover (staff turnover for the year ending June 2009 was 12.7 per cent, and the turnover for the year ending June 2010 was 11.6 per cent) and reduced sick leave taken.

* Progress on process redesign to ensure processes are as efficient as possible.

* A 57.6 per cent participation rate in the organisation's staff survey in May 2010. The survey results are very positive with 75 per cent of respondents being positive about working for Lakes DHB.

* Caseweight increases for the past year - a total of 16,473 caseweights, up from 15,818 for the 2008-09 year.

* More elective procedures performed during the past year - 3248, up from 3082 for the 2008-09 year.

* ED attendance increase for the past year - 38,003 attendances at ED, up from 36,746 in 2008-09.

* Outpatient attendance increase for the past year - total of 75,024, up from 65,932 in 2008-09.

* Discharges from hospital - 25,244, up from 22,982 for 2008-09.


Stewart Edward says when the DHB was set up in 2001 the outlook was reasonably bleak. The 2001 Joint Study commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Lakes DHB outlined a number of changes that needed to be made if the organisation was to achieve clinical and financial viability.

He says the past three boards have been passionate about implementing the major changes highlighted in the joint study and subsequent other key reports and he can now officially confirm that the aspirations of the board and staff have been achieved and the organisation is in good heart.