DHB looking to benefit from Budget

Rotorua health bosses are awaiting Thursday's Budget to find out how local services are likely to benefit from $180 million in extra national funding.

Health minister David Cunliffe has announced the additional money would be spent on elective surgery and extra services provided by district health boards.

Lakes District Health Board communications officer Sue Wilkie said the board was waiting for the Budget to find out how the funding would be allocated according to the Ministry of Health's population-based funding formula. Lakes DHB hoped to complete almost 3000 elective procedures in the financial year ending on June 30, 2008, she said.

She said there was some risk associated with achieving that target, due to a mix of junior doctors' strike action and high demand for acute surgery.

An additional $1.5 million from the Ministry of Health had already enabled the board to increase its annual workload by 292 first specialist appointments, elective procedures and follow-up appointments. Lakes DHB target areas for elective procedures include general surgery, cardiology, dental, cardiothoracic, neuro surgery, paediatric surgery and plastics and burns work.

Mr Cunliffe said $160 million would allow about 5000 more people to receive life-improving elective treatment per year until 2012, with another 12,000 patients expected to benefit from greater access to specialist assistance such as assessment, diagnostic testing and outpatient and community-based procedures.

Another $20,000 will be targeted at district health boards that have both a high level of need in the community and the capacity to deliver extra services.