Another 8,000 To Benefit From Waiting Times Money

Another 8,000 people on hospital waiting lists will be offered procedures and assessments as a result of the latest allocation from the Government's Waiting Times Fund, Health Minister Bill English announced today.

This brings the total procedures and assessments approved through the Fund to more than 73,000. The money committed against the Fund is now $112 million. Of that, $93m has already been agreed to in signed contracts which extend over the next two or three years. A total of $130 million was made available when the Fund was set up on 1 July last year.

"I am very pleased by how quickly we have been able to spend the money allocated to the Fund. The number of people who are being helped by this money is considerable and shows the system is working. More hospitals are now getting assessments and procedures approved through the Fund as they get their booking systems in place.

"The Coalition Agreement allocates a further $150m over the next three years to further clear waiting lists and we can be confident that that money will go to the people who will benefit most from treatment," said Mr English.

Some of the applications have been approved in principle subject to final details being negotiated, in particular to ensure the treatments can be provided at a better price and delivered in a shorter timeframe.

The following approvals were made in the latest allocation from the Fund:

Northern Region

up to 650 cataract treatments for people in the greater Auckland region
4,500 ophthalmology assessments for people in the greater Auckland region
604 gynaecology assessments at South Auckland Health for people in South Auckland and Manakau City
312 secondary ear, nose and throat treatments for people in the greater Auckland region
Midland Region

179 ophthalmology procedures at Lakeland Health for people in the Lakes and Taupo region
Central Region

270 plastic surgery treatments at Hutt Valley Health for people in the Hutt Valley region
85 colonoscopy treatments at Hutt Valley Health for people in the Hutt Valley region
139 gastroscopy treatments at Hutt Valley Health for people in the Hutt Valley region
Southern Region

139 gynaecology assessments at Healthlink South for women in Christchurch
345 gynaecology procedures at Healthlink South for women in Christchurch
69 hip replacements at Health South Canterbury for people in South Canterbury
42 knee replacements at Health South Canterbury for people in South Canterbury
50 ear, nose and throat assessments at Health South Canterbury for people in South Canterbury
80 myringotomy procedures at Health South Canterbury for people in South Canterbury
555 follow-up services for previously approved major joint replacements at Canterbury Health and Healthcare Otago for people in the Southern region.