Auditor-General's overview
My staff have prepared this document to help district health boards (DHBs) further improve the effectiveness of the Get Checked diabetes programme.
This document follows a report my Office produced in 2007, entitled Ministry of Health and district health boards: Effectiveness of the "Get Checked" diabetes programme. That report had 17 recommendations for DHBs.
This document clearly sets out the intent behind those recommendations. It also includes examples of actions that some DHBs reported to us in 2009, which they were carrying out to meet the intent of our recommendations. I encourage all DHBs to share their experiences of improving the effectiveness of the Get Checked programme.
DHBs can use the contents of this document, and the questions posed in it, to consider their progress and identify how the Get Checked programme could be improved.
This document is a new approach for my Office, so I am also interested in feedback from DHBs, and any other organisations involved in the Get Checked programme, on this document’s usefulness. I would be grateful if you could send your feedback to diabetesguidefeedback@oag.govt.nz by 1 December 2010. We will use your feedback to inform our future approach to sharing our findings with public entities.
I thank all the DHBs for providing my staff with information about their progress with the recommendations made in our 2007 report.
I would like to acknowledge the expert assistance and advice that the late Professor Sir Donald Beaven provided to my staff while we were preparing our original report on the Get Checked diabetes programme. He was always very conscious of the need for effective public health initiatives to improve the health outcomes of people with diabetes. Sir Donald Beaven showed tireless enthusiasm and energy in holding public health entities accountable for the resources allocated to improving diabetes management and treatment.
Lyn Provost
Controller and Auditor-General
24 September 2010