Health sector passes annual check-up

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says the annual report on Implementing the New Zealand Health Strategy 2014 shows that public health and disability services continue to offer better access to safe and effective care.

“Waiting times are reducing, and services are increasingly being planned, managed, funded, and delivered in a sustainable way,” says Dr Coleman.

The report from the Health Minister shows the public health service continues to perform well against the Government’s Health Targets, and further deliver improvements in priority areas.

“The Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health Project has seen further positive progress. School-based health services are now offered in 44 out of 48 decile three secondary schools and the online e-therapy programme SPARX is available to provide support to young people,” says Dr Coleman.

“The report highlights progress in other significant areas. For instance Whānau Ora is trialling a new information system that enables better patient care through the collection and sharing of data.

“The Better Public Services programme continues to drive efforts across departments. This includes efforts to reduce the rate of rheumatic fever, in which the Government invested an additional $20 million in Budget 2014, taking the Government’s overall investment to over $67 million.

“The report also highlights the challenges of responding to demographic changes.

“Health and disability services are moving towards a more integrated system of care and this report shows we are on the right track,” says Dr Coleman.

Implementing the New Zealand Health Strategy 2014 is released alongside the Director-General of Health’s Health and Independence Report and the Ministry of Health’s Annual Report available at www.health.govt.nz.