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The public will be able to rate their local hospitals from Monday with the publication of the first league tables pitting one health board's performance against another.
The government says it wants 95% of patients seen within six hours of being admitted to hospitals.
And the average Kiwi will now be able to open the paper and see if their local hospital is passing or failing on this and five other targets.
The results show some are failing in key health targets.
"Its one way we can hold them accountable for what they are doing with public money," says Tony Ryall, Health Minister.
An early look at the results shows one third of the 21 district health boards are currently managing to meet the six hour emergency department treatment target. That means 15 DHBs are not, for the time being at least.
The top performers are, not surprisingly, the less busy emergency departments of West Coast, Wairarapa, Wanganui, Nelson, Marlborough, Southland and South Canterbury.
Of the busiest, Middlemore and Christchurch Hospitals, come out tops on 89% and 87% respectively.
National clinical E.D Director, Professor Mike Ardagh, says this is understandable.
"Bigger hospitals have bigger queues. They have more people turning up and more complex processes," he says.
Nearly all health boards are meeting six-week waiting times for cancer treatment and more than half are also improving access to elective surgery.
But it's not all positive.
Wairarapa is the only DHB that has met the 80% target for helping patients quit smoking.
Hutt Valley rates last on that with a lowly 2% while 11 DHB's are set to fail in having 85% of all two-year-olds immunised by next July.
Lakes DHB scores worst on just 65%.
Health officials along with the Health Minister deny the league tables are a name and shame exercise.
"Its all about openness, engaging people in these health priorities. And I think we'll see district health boards around the country with friendly rivalry trying to do better every quarter," says Ryall.
Should local hospitals be rated and DHB's pitted against each other? Have your say below...
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