A slight drop in the percentage of Otago patients receiving radiotherapy treatment for cancer within six weeks of their first specialist appointment has been due to the southern service carrying out work for other areas.
Dunedin Hospital's chief operations officer Vivian Blake said this work had an impact on the way the former Otago District Health Board's performance appeared in the latest information on boards' progress meeting the Government's health targets.
It included carrying out some work for the Canterbury board.
The report for the third quarter of this year showed that Otago was meeting the standard for 99% of its patients and Southland for 96%. rather than 100% in the previous two quarters.
The Otago board had improved its performance in meeting five of the six health targets, although its ratings against other boards were slightly lower in three areas.
Otago and Southland topped the boards on the immunisation target which requires that 85% of 2-year-olds are fully immunised.
Otago's figure was 94% and Southland's 93%.
The percentage of hospital patients being offered help to quit smoking has doubled since the previous quarter to 38%.
The target is 80% and the board has improved its ranking, among the 21 boards on this from 17th to 14th.
• Health Minister Tony Ryall has organised the quarterly publishing of boards' performances against the targets because he believes it will help improve performance and accountability.
This is the third time the rankings have been issued.
