NZ health care rated top

New Zealand has come out top in a survey of healthcare in five English-speaking countries.

New Zealand patients rated their health system more highly than their counterparts in the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada.

The report, by US-based healthcare specialists, used patient-reported experiences related to the Institute of Medicine's framework for quality.

It assessed patient safety, whether treatment focused on a patient's needs, timeliness, efficiency, effectiveness and whether socio-economic groups were treated equitably.

New Zealand was top overall, and performed well across all categories. Australia was second, Britain third, Canada fourth and the US fifth.

Health Minister Annette King said the Government took "considerable satisfaction" from the Commonwealth Fund survey, carried out in 2001 and 2002, but said there was no room for complacency.

- NZPA