Dr. Shane Reti Welcomes Promising Progress on Government's Health Targets

Health New Zealand's latest report shows encouraging improvements in cancer treatment wait times, emergency department efficiency, and planned care delivery, though challenges remain in childhood immunisation rates.

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has welcomed new data from Health New Zealand, saying it demonstrates encouraging progress toward meeting the Government’s health targets.

Health New Zealand’s quarterly report, covering the period ending 30 June, will be used as the baseline for tracking progress against the Government’s five new health targets, which took effect on 1 July. These targets aim to improve key aspects of the health system, including cancer treatment, emergency department wait times, and planned care.

“The latest report shows that while there’s still work to do, Health New Zealand is already making progress on four of the five health targets,” Dr Reti said. “This clearly demonstrates the value and the need for these targets in the health system, as we are now seeing stabilization of critical performance areas that had worsened over the last six years without a clear focus.”

Significant Improvements in Cancer Treatment and Elective Care

Dr Reti highlighted substantial improvements in wait times for cancer treatments, first specialist assessments, and elective surgeries.

“I’m pleased to see positive progress in cancer treatment waiting times, which have improved to 83.5% of patients receiving treatment within the target time frame, compared to 82.7% in the previous quarter,” he noted. “With new cancer treatments, such as Keytruda, coming online from 1 October, I expect New Zealanders’ access to life-saving cancer therapies will continue to improve in the coming months.”

Emergency department (ED) efficiency also saw modest gains. In the latest quarter, 71.2% of ED patients were admitted, discharged, or transferred within six hours, up from 70.1% in the previous quarter. Dr. Reti emphasized the importance of improving emergency services to reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes.

“Over 61% of patients received planned care within four months, resulting in 1,519 fewer people waiting for surgery. This is a clear indication that our investments in reducing backlogs are paying off,” he said.

Ongoing Challenges in Immunisation Rates and Specialist Assessments

Despite these positive strides, the report also underscores areas that require further attention. Dr. Reti expressed concern over wait times for first specialist assessments, which showed only a slight improvement.

“While patients are waiting less time for treatment overall, they’re still waiting too long to be assessed,” he said.

Dr Reti also flagged declining childhood immunisation rates as an urgent area for improvement. The report revealed a drop in immunisation coverage for children at 24 months, from 77.2% in the previous quarter to 76.5%.

“Too many Kiwi kids are getting sick from vaccine-preventable diseases. The Government has invested $50 million over two years to boost immunisation efforts and expand the vaccinator workforce, allowing people to get vaccinated wherever they access healthcare services—through a midwife, at pharmacies, or even at community events,” Dr. Reti said.

The reduction in immunisation rates may also reflect improvements in the accuracy of reporting, thanks to the new Aotearoa Immunisation Register, which provides a more detailed and accurate picture of vaccination rates across the country.

A Long Road Ahead

While the results are promising, Dr. Reti stressed that turning around the health system’s performance is a long-term challenge. The Government has already introduced a plan to implement the new health targets, and efforts are underway to address significant financial issues at Health New Zealand.

“Our health targets are ambitious, and these are not changes that can happen overnight. However, today’s results give us confidence that we are on the right track, and I am optimistic that New Zealanders will begin to experience real improvements in their access to high-quality healthcare,” Dr. Reti concluded.

The Government remains focused on strengthening public services, particularly healthcare, ensuring that all New Zealanders can rely on a more efficient and effective health system.