NZ has best health care in English-speaking world - Report

John Miller

Health report rates NZ system tops
11 February 2004

New Zealand has come out top in an independent survey of health care carried out in five English-speaking countries.

New Zealand patients rated the New Zealand health system more highly than their counterparts in the United States, Australia, Britain, New Zealand and Canada.

The report, by US-based health care specialists, used patient-reported experiences related to the Institute of Medicine's framework for quality.

It assessed patient safety, whether treatment focused on a patient's needs, timeliness, efficiency, effectiveness and whether socioeconomic groups were treated equitably.

New Zealand was top overall, and performed well across all categories. Australia was second, Britain third, Canada fourth and the US fifth.

Ratings were:

Patient safety: second equal with Australia, behind Britain, though a higher proportion of New Zealand patients than others reported being given the wrong medication by a doctor, hospital or pharmacist.

(Rankings: UK 1, NZ and Australia 2, Canada 4, US 5).

Patient needs: Top, with the best ratings for getting time with a physician, physician accessibility, and having health concerns listened to.

(NZ 1, Australia 2, Canada 3, US 4, UK 5)

Timeliness: Top, with New Zealanders having the most prompt access to medical attention, emergency care, and specialists.

However, it rated only third on waiting times for elective surgery and satisfaction with hospital discharge arrangements, and fourth on hospital admission waiting times.

(NZ 1, Australia 2, US 3, UK 4, Canada 5).

Efficiency: New Zealand was rated second least likely to waste equipment, supplies, ideas and energy, with its patients least likely to have to tell the same story to a series of health professionals.

(Australia 1, NZ 2, UK 3, Canada 4, US 5)

Effectiveness: New Zealand was a close second at providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit, and not providing services to those unlikely to benefit.

(UK 1, NZ and Canada 2, Australia and US 4).

Equity: New Zealand was third overall, and only fourth for those on below average incomes. Poorer New Zealanders were more likely than all but low income Americans to put off seeing a doctor due to the cost, to not get follow up treatment, to be unable to pay for care, or have no access to it as it was not available in their area.

(UK 1, Australia 2, NZ 3, Canada 4, US 5).

Health Minister Annette King said the Government took "considerable satisfaction" from the Commonwealth Fund survey, carried out in 2001 and 2002.

"While the survey ranks New Zealand top overall, there is certainly no room for complacency."

She highlighted equity as an area in which New Zealand was determined to do better.

"We have targeted funding at high-risk, low socioeconomic areas since we began implementing the Primary Health Care Strategy in mid-2002."

Mrs King said there was plenty of evidence that equity issues "generally" affected low-income, Maori and Pacific New Zealanders.

"Clearly that is where we have needed to target spending first."

ACT health spokeswoman Heather Roy said the report was a reminder of the fundamental bureaucratic flaws in the health system.

New Zealand had been ranked last in categories that were the direct responsibility of Mrs King, the Health Ministry and management, she said.

"The news that Kiwi health professionals are among the world's best come as no surprise," she said.

"Our medical staff are highly sought after overseas - with Australia, Canada and the US recruiting heavily here."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2811583a10,00.html

Gerry · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 3:48 pm Post subject:

Well, that's sure nice to knoe. Thanks for posting that, John.

Gerry