3.4 Service descriptions – Hutt Valley DHB

Hutt Valley DHB identifies its services through:

• an initial overview in the first part of the SOI; and
• descriptions given at three different points in the SOI.

Overview

Hutt Valley DHB gives an initial overview of services in a background section in the SOI. The section on its scope of work outlines the range of services under its provider role and the range of services under its funder role. For example, one of the services listed under the funder role is:

"Aged residential, respite and home based support services – contracted providers include 17 aged residential care facilities, which provide a mix of rest home, hospital, dementia, psycho geriatric, day support and respite care services, and three home based supports service providers."

This information provides an immediate view of the volume and range of these services.

Forecast SSP

In the section on the output classes and Statement of Forecast Service Performance, the SOI introduces each output class with an overview of what the output class includes, key areas of focus, and more detail on the services that comprise the output class – the latter is highlighted in a table with a background colour.

The examples below are from the output class Public Health Services (Prevention Services from 2011/12).

Scope of the output class

We found the way the scope was described in the following paragraph useful:

"Public Health services are publicly funded services that protect and promote health in the whole population or identifiable subpopulations. They prevent disease and enhance the health status of the population as distinct from the curative and support services. Public Health services include health promotion to ensure that illness is prevented and unequal outcomes are reduced; statutorily mandated health protection services to protect the public from toxic environmental risk and communicable diseases; and individual health protection services such as immunisation and screening services."

Table detailing the underlying services

Extract from formal forecast SSP

The formal tables of forecast service performance then set out services, performance measures, and targets. The services reflect those already identified in the earlier tables and another brief description of them is given.