The latest quarterly results show the Waikato District Health Board is tracking well on all national health targets.

Released this week, the health board has shown improvement in four out of the six target rates compared to the previous quarter, while the other two have held steady.

Waikato DHB Cancer Care coordinators, from left: Shelley Cavanagh, Nicola Walker, Mary-Ann Hamilton, Lee-Ann Creagh and Emily Fyfe. Photo: Waikato DHB

Interim chief operating officer Brett Paradine says it is very pleasing to see an improvement in the six hour acute goal and to make a start toward achieving the new cancer target.

'Improvement in both of these areas will be a priority for the coming year,” says Brett.

Waikato DHB's results (with national averages for all district health boards) for the quarter are:

• Shorter stays in emergency departments:
  Waikato DHB: 94 per cent / Nat. Avg: 94 per cent
• Improved access to elective surgery:
  Waikato DHB: 115 per cent / Nat. Avg: 107 per cent
• Faster cancer treatment:
  Waikato DHB: 68 per cent / Nat. Avg: 66 per cent
• Increased immunisation:
  Waikato DHB 91 per cent / Nat. Avg: 94 per cent
• Better help for smokers to quit – hospitals:
  Waikato DHB: 96 per cent / Nat. Avg: 95 per cent
• Better help for smokers to quit – primary care:
  Waikato DHB: 87 per cent / Nat. Avg: 89 per cent
• More heart and diabetes checks:
  Waikato DHB: 88 per cent / Nat. Avg: 87 per cent

Health minister Jonathan Coleman says the latest quarterly health target results show Waikato is making steady overall progress.

'Waikato DHB is continuing to improve its performance on the Government's national health targets. These results are a credit to the health professionals in Waikato.”

This is the first time of reporting the ‘Faster cancer treatment' target results. The new target is broader than the previous Shorter waits for cancer treatment target.

It measures how long patients wait from the time of their GP's referral is accepted by the hospital and clinicians strongly suspect they have cancer, to the start of treatment – which could be surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or even palliative care.

The percentage refers to the number of patients who receive their first cancer treatment (other than management) within 62 days of being referred with a high suspicion of cancer.

The intent is to measure right across the cancer diagnosis and treatment pathway.

The target is to reach 85 per cent by July 2016, but the current result of 66 per cent averaged across all DHBs was expected – very similar to the UK results when a similar target was introduced.

The target will be reported on a rolling six-month basis rather than quarterly.

Waikato Hospital Internal Medicine and Oncology assistant group manager Amanda Wright says the health board is adopting a 'whole team approach” to make sure patients get the required treatment.

'A lot of effort has gone into ensuring we have a robust process for tracking these patients,” says Amanda. 'Our cancer care coordinators and clinical nurse specialists have done a wonderful job.

'We are pleased with the result and are working on a plan that will focus on improving our percentage to the expected 85 per cent by June 2016.”

To view Waikato DHB's National Health Targets results click here.

To view the overall national results click here.