Simon Bridges National MP simonbridges.co.nz

While it is debatable when it begins, we are clearly now well into the silly season, with all the end of year Christmas functions, present shopping (which some of us who are less organised haven't even started yet!) and the putting up of Christmas trees, decorations and lights.

While those of us who have behaved ourselves during the year wait eagerly for Santa's visit, I encourage you to go and look at the house lights trails around Tauranga, and check out some of the wonderful nativity scenes our local churches have put up.

My past fortnight has been very hectic, with select committee duties taking me around the country. In between that I have enjoyed coming home for the weekend. Last weekend I particularly enjoyed attending the Tauranga Special Olympics swimming races at Greerton Aquatic Centre. This wonderful event was attended by hundreds of competitors and family members from around the country, and I commend Patricia Wakelin and her team for all their hard work to make this and other events happen for sports people with special needs.

Focusing on the frontline of health

In October, you voted for people to be members of our District Health Board. They are responsible for providing frontline public health services for you and your family.

Last week, Health Minister Tony Ryall appointed additional members to DHBs. These appointments included 10 new DHB chairs, and some who will serve on more than one board.

Cross-appointments in DHBs allow for greater co-operation across regions. They improve the planning and management of healthcare. They help doctors, nurses, and health professionals in different DHBs work together more effectively. They will help improve the delivery of health care to people in our communities who need it.

DHBs play an important role.They work with the new National Health Board to drive better frontline health services and ensure that scarce health dollars are spent wisely.

They manage local priorities and are responsible for meeting the six national health targets.

Our health targets simplify the previous complex reporting systems in our health service.

The targets are helping DHBs improve the quality of frontline care and treatment for patients.

They are:

Shorter waiting times for emergency department treatment

Better help for smokers to quit

Increased immunisation for children

Better diabetes and cardiovascular services

Shorter waiting times for critical cancer treatment

More elective surgery

The latest reports on our health targets show real progress. DHBs are delivering better frontline services for more people with our growing investment in health.

For example, in September last year, 20 percent of patients were waiting more than six hours in emergency departments. That has now reduced to 13 percent. That's a big improvement and it's just a start.

Shorter waiting times mean better treatment for patients in emergency departments, and better frontline services across our hospitals.

In addition to our health targets, we're training and hiring more doctors and nurses for public hospitals. We are also continuing to increase places in medical schools and GP training. More than 1000 extra nurses and 200 extra doctors are now working in hospitals around the country, to ensure better frontline services for patients.

National is improving the way that DHBs work together. We're reducing waiting times and providing more elective surgery. And we're hiring more doctors and more nurses. Our relentless focus on the health frontline is helping to provide better, sooner, more convenient health care for you and your family.