44339 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

44339 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What actions, if any, have been taken in the quarter (January to March 2024) to implement the recommendation ‘Consider if review of whether long waiting patients is required to determine if FSA is still required’ as part of Te Whatu Ora Planned Care Taskforce Reset and Restore Plan?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised during the January to March 2024 quarter, Health New Zealand made good progress in validating its FSA waitlist. It also initiated the first phase of a patient communications project by contacting patients waiting >120 days for FSA in the high-volume specialties of general surgery, ophthalmology, gynaecology, and orthopaedics, which represents around 20% of the >120-day FSA waitlist. I am further advised that as districts prepared lists or contacted patients, Health NZ found that some patients were on the waitlist in error. For example, patients had received their FSA but had not been removed from the waitlist. This has allowed local teams to validate waitlists but has also confirmed the need for ongoing work to improve local and national data quality. A national strategy focused on data quality is being developed, with an initial focus on the FSA waitlist.