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Health Targets

Quarterly Reports
Reducing Ambulatory Sensitive (Avoidable) Hospital Admissions Target


Summaries from the target champion and detailed information on the national progress towards this target is provided below:

 Specific information on each DHB's progress towards this target is provided on their individual pages. You can access them on the Targets by DHB page.

Full year - 2007/08

07/08 Target Achievement - target achieved and extended


There were 1120 fewer avoidable admissions for 2007/08. This target area has 147 sub-targets of which 132 were achieved. There were 14 DHBs that achieved 100% of their individual sub-targets.

Ambulatory-sensitive admissions have reduced by 1.1% (1120 admission) in the latest 12-month period through to December 2007. The reduction for children 0–4 years has been particularly impressive, with admissions reducing 6.7%, evenly spread across Māori, Pacific and Other. The experience for Māori and Pacific adults was less satisfactory, with admissions increasing for both groups. Approaches to reducing admissions for these population groups are particularly important and will require close attention.


07/08 Achievement by District Health Board


Table of 07/08 achievement by District Health Board - Text description provided below the table.

Quarter Three 2007/08
The Ministry continues to be impressed with the commitment and involvement of DHBs in reducing ambulatory sensitive hospital (ASH) admissions. This includes analysing quarterly ASH data to understand what is driving their particular results and, in response, developing and implementing different ways of working. The efforts made so far are beginning to come through in the latest results and provide a sound base for the future.
The latest 12-month national data on ASH admissions, ending September 2007, shows the following.
  • There was a reduction of 2271 admissions compared with the base 12-month period until September 2006 that was used to set DHB targets for 2007/08. This is a 2.1 percent reduction.
  • There was a significant 9.8 percent reduction in ASH admissions for children aged 0 to 4 years old with an equivalent percentage reduction across ethnicities.
  • ASH admissions for the 45- to 64-year-old age group are not significantly different from the base period level for this period.
  • Pacific increased by 129 (1.3 percent) for this period, despite a decrease in ASH admissions for the 0- to 4-year-old age group of 11.3 percent.

Quarter Two 2007/08
Eleven DHBs have been visited by the ASH champion who has found good sector engagement with this health target and a range of approaches being implemented which will contribute to a reduction in ASH admissions over time.

The latest 12-month national data on ambulatory sensitive hospital (ASH) admissions, ending June 07 shows the following.
  • There was a reduction of 1356 admissions compared with the base 12-month period until September 2006 that was used to set DHB targets for 2007/08.
  • There was a significant 7 percent reduction in ASH admissions for children aged 0 to 4 years old.
  • Some DHBs have particularly good ASH data with admissions at less than 80 percent of the national average for some of the age bands that are monitored. Examples include Auckland, Waikato, MidCentral, Capital and Coast and Taranaki DHBs.
  • ASH admissions for Pacific increased by 173 (1.7%) for this period, mainly in the 45 to 64 year old age group.

Quarter One 2007/08
The latest 12-month national data on ambulatory sensitive hospitalisations (ASH) admissions, which are usually unplanned admissions, shows:
  • a reduction of 1792 admissions compared with the base 12-month period that was used to set DHB targets for 2007/08
  • DHBs are using the new ASH quarterly reports to better identify the admission processes and clinical conditions that may contribute to these unplanned admissions within their local districts.

This is a constructive start: even at this early stage, DHBs are finding that reliable data and effective clinician engagement are important factors that will contribute to achieving this health target.
Page last updated: 17 October 2008


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