4961 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

4961 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: Why did Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisation rates decline over the last two quarters?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that the decline in Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisation rates over the last two quarters is not significant and is likely to be due to seasonal change as we moved from winter to summer. I am further advised that seasonal changes in recent years were masked by the disruption to infectious disease patterns caused by COVID-19, and we are now returning to a more usual pattern of Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisation rates.