Health Minister David Clark says the previous government's health targets have been dumped as they were not fit for purpose, and he's working on some new ones.
Minister of Health David Clark Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
The targets were put in place by the former National-led government in 2009.
They focussed on six areas: increased immunisation, faster cancer treatment, shorter stays in emergency departments, improved access to elective surgery, helping smokers to quit and raising healthy kids.
National Party leader Simon Bridges said yesterday that dropping the targets meant there was less accountability which would lead to more illnesses and deaths.
Dr Clark told Morning Report that the government simply stopped publishing them, and they have not been published since August 2017.
"I don't think anybody would be surprised that the incoming government had different objectives, we've been very critical of the targets in opposition."
"We believe they're actually leading to worse health outcomes overall for New Zealanders," Dr Clark said.
"They're not measuring outcomes, they're measuring activity."
Dr Clark said a broader suite of measures was being worked on with clinicians and would be announced later in 2018.
"It would have been a bit hypocritical of us to continue using them in government when we had been so critical of them" - David Clark