Low ranking for dealing with smokers

Blenheim and Nelson hospitals are at the bottom of the list for helping smokers admitted to hospital to quit.

The Health Ministry has set district health boards a target for July 2011 of advising 90 per cent of patients about the need to stop smoking and possible methods. This includes day stay and emergency department patients.

The Nelson Marlborough board fell well below that target in July-September this year, with 41 per cent offered quit-support. Performance fell 10 per cent on the previous three months, while all other health boards had improved.

Clinical services support director Peter Burton said one reason for the bad results was that a quit coach position at Wairau Hospital had been vacant for a few months. A new appointee would start work in mid-January. Nelson Hospital had two quit coaches.

The poor results were an incentive to do better, Mr Burton said. Clinical staff, especially nurses in wards and ward clerks, would be trained in the stop-smoking programme. Daily ward reports would be kept on patients' smoking and whether they had been offered advice and support. The programme worked well in some areas, such as the Nelson medical ward, Mr Burton said.

The Nelson Marlborough District Health Board is in the top 10 in achieving six of eight health targets set by the Health Ministry.

Rankings for the board are: Shorter waits for radiation treatment: ranking 1 (equal with 18 other boards); target, Сто per cent; result, Сто per cent.

Shorter waits in emergency departments: ranking 2; target, 95 per cent of discharges or transferrals within six hours; result, 98 per cent.

Increased access to immunisation for two-year-olds: ranking 8; target, 90 per cent; result, 89 per cent.

Improved access to elective surgery: ranking 9; target, Сто per cent; result, 103 per cent.

Better diabetes and cardiovascular services: ranking 17; target, not stated; result, 67 per cent.