KEY POINTS:
It happens in school reports, it happens at work - now the Government is writing specific targets on how it wants the nation's health improved.
Improvement goals have been agreed with each of the 21 district health boards and the Health Ministry for nine areas of health: child immunisation, adolescent oral health, elective services, cancer radiation waiting times, avoidable hospital admissions, diabetes, mental health, nutrition and smoking.
A 10th target commits the ministry to reducing the percentage Vote Health spent on its own operating budget to 1.65 per cent by 2010, from 1.85 per cent in the last financial year.
Each board's target will be reviewed annually. The nine targets reflect areas that have long been priorities for the Government, although a specific goal for heart health has been omitted - it may be added later - because of a lack of figures on managing heart disease in primary health care.
Health Minister Pete Hodgson said the targets already existed; the change was that they would now be given far more attention.
Medical Association chairman Peter Foley said the association would "be supportive" of the targets. "It sounds generally positive, as long as it doesn't take too many bureaucrats to make sure we are getting those targets." Nikki Turner, director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre at Auckland University, said: "It is fantastic to see New Zealand take a genuine commitment to focusing on improving [immunisation] coverage."
