Big tick for hospital advances in services

Photo / Thinkstock

Waikato Hospital services have improved significantly in spite of a $500 million redevelopment at the campus, says an Audit New Zealand report.

And, as a result, it has lifted the service performance at the Waikato District Health Board an unprecedented two grades from poor last year to good this year.

The audit also lifted the DHB's management control environment one grade from needs improvement to good.

One area of concern that improved was the number of staff with excessive amounts of owed annual leave hours.

Last year, 1263 staff had more than the maximum entitlement of 240 hours per annum but that figure had dropped this year to 824 staff.

Board chairman Graeme Milne said the redevelopment of the campus was at its peak with stage one of the $130 million Meade Clinical Centre under construction but the disruption had not affected the quality of care at the Waiora Waikato hospital campus in Hamilton.

"That we provided quality care in among the multiple challenges is a tribute to chief executive Craig Climo and his executive team who remained dedicated and focused," Mr Milne said.

"It is our job as a team to improve frontline services and to operate within the approved financial budget.

"We must continue to focus on improving productivity and get the best value for the health dollars New Zealand's taxpayers make available to us."

Waikato DHB's annual report to June 30, 2011, showed an operating surplus of $10.6 million on revenue of more than $1 billion an "excellent result", Mr Milne said.

"We need every dollar of these surpluses to fund the significant capital programme focused around Waikato Hospital."

He said the Meade Clinical Centre, was scheduled to open in less than 40 weeks.
Audit grades

Very good: no improvements necessary.
Good: improvements beneficial and recommended the DHB address these.
Needs improvement: improvements necessary and recommended the DHB address these at earliest reasonable opportunity.
Poor: major improvements required and recommended the DHB urgently address these.