The Community Alcohol and Drug Service (CADS) won the Otago clinical improvement award at a ceremony at Dunedin Hospital yesterday.
The equivalent non-clinical improvement award went to Dunedin Sexual Health Clinic for education initiatives targeting the community and other health workers.
Addressing the ceremony, Southern DHB chief executive Brian Rousseau said he was pleased with the high number of entries this year - 46.
Criticisms of DHB services tended to be around non-clinical matters, patient "journey" or flow through the system, and waiting times for outpatients' appointments and the emergency department, Mr Rousseau said.
The citation for the CADS award says the service had been "extraordinarily busy" with up to 170 unseen referrals, excessive case-loads, staff stress and sickness, and complaints from clients.
One of the main changes introduced was group therapy as well as one-on-one counselling. Both waiting lists - methadone, and alcohol and other drugs - were reduced, with the most significant gains in the latter.
The runners-up for the clinical improvement award were Dunedin Hospital's falls prevention programme (second), a community occupational therapy pre-operative project, and the development of an acute stroke unit at Dunedin Hospital.
Runners-up for the non-clinical improvement award were radiology for improving internal processes (second), improved document management for vertebrate toxic agents, and a Public Health South food security project in Southland.
