Health targets: High-level implementation plans published

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has today published high-level implementation plans to make progress on achieving the Government’s health targets by 2030.

Work continues on implementation plans for five mental health and addiction targets, which will be publicly released at a later date.

The Government’s targets, which the implementation plans released today relate to, are:

• Faster cancer treatment – 90 per cent of patients to receive cancer management within 31 days of the decision to treat.

• Improved immunisation for kids – 95 per cent of children to be fully immunised at 24 months of age.

• Shorter stays in emergency departments – 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from an ED within six hours.

• Shorter wait times for first specialist assessment – 95 per cent of patients to wait less than four months for an FSA.

• Shorter wait times for treatment – 95 per cent of patients to wait less than four months for elective treatment.

The plans include activities and milestones to help drive improved performance and deliver timely access to quality healthcare for all New Zealanders.

The plans also take into account current performance levels, and both challenges and opportunities ahead, to ensure we are realistic about the improvement steps New Zealanders can expect to see each year.

Health NZ will publish results against targets each quarter, with the first results reported in December for the July-September period (Q1 of 2024/25).

Many people and teams across our workforce will be critical to delivering on the targets and our milestones each year. We acknowledge the commitment of our health workforce and know the targets will further drive our collective effort to support and provide care to New Zealanders as best we can.

Health NZ is determined to deliver faster cancer treatment, improved immunisation rates, shorter stays in ED, shorter wait times for first specialist assessments (FSAs), and shorter wait times for elective treatment.

More information can be found below.