The Canterbury District Health Board is pleased
to be able to share with the Canterbury public
its health target results for the first quarter of
this financial year (1 July – 30 September).
 

The roof of Christchurch Hospital’s new oncology
bunker has now been poured, with a small
pocket left for a topping off ceremony
next Tuesday, to which media are invited.

Christchurch Hospital’s new purpose built Sleep
Unit is expected to result in shorter waiting
times and fewer ward admissions for people
with sleep disorders.

The Canterbury District Health Board has not
reduced the amount it is spending on
home-based support services for older people
and is in fact investing in programmes to help
them stay in their own homes for longer.

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is supporting Mental Health Awareness Week
(October 5 - 11) with a range of activities for
consumers and staff.
 

The Canterbury District Health Board is
encouraging women to check their regular
cervical smear is up to date. September is
Cervical Screening Awareness Month.
 

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in New Zealand and affects one-in-six New Zealanders over 15 years of age. More than 522,000 New Zealanders are living with at least one type of arthritis.
 

Canterbury District Health Board has revealed a proposal for a multimillion-dollar re-development of Christchurch Hospital as a result of its work on developing a Facilities Master Plan for CDHB sites.
 

Young people aged 13 to 20 years are being urged to get vaccinated against measles if they currently have no protection against the disease.
 

World Physiotherapy Day, today, is all about moving people into action and being physically active.
 

Canterbury health professionals have received a positive response to efforts to contain a measles outbreak that is sweeping through pre-schools and schools.
 

A new breast cancer register set up to monitor women in Canterbury who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer is expected to improve outcomes for those with the disease.
 

Most of us take speaking and swallowing for granted but for others who have had strokes, brain injuries, head and neck cancer, degenerative diseases, voice disorders, cleft lip or palate, these activities can be very painful, stressful or even impossible. These people need special support and Speech Language therapists are trained to help.
 

Increased cervical cancer detection and quicker reporting of results are expected at Canterbury Health Laboratories (CHL) following the introduction of a new way of analysing cervical smear samples.
 

Christchurch’s St Asaph St Flu Centre – the last remaining Canterbury Flu Centre - will close at the end of business tomorrow, Tuesday 18 August.
 

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) will be increasingly supporting older people to stay in their own homes as part of a long term strategy to address the needs of the region’s ageing population.
 

Hospital The door of a sterilising unit at Burwood Hospital blew out just after midday today causing damage to the machine, wall and ceiling in the Sterile Services room but thankfully causing no injury to staff.
 

People in Canterbury with flu should continue to follow advice given during the swine flu pandemic to look after themselves and protect others from getting sick.  
 

All Flu Centres in the Canterbury region, except for the Central Christchurch centre in St Asaph St, will close at the end of business tomorrow, Tuesday 11 August.
 

The current wave of Swine Flu in Canterbury seems to have peaked, with numbers now declining and local health authorities looking at how long Flu Centres will need to be retained in the region.
 

The timing of Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccinations is being brought forward for Canterbury infants to give children greater protection from measles during the region’s current outbreak.
 

Canterbury District Health Board is congratulating organisers of the “Big Latch On” taking place in Christchurch on Friday 7 August to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.
 

Sick children are set to benefit from the highly successful Fresh Future Appeal which is being launched next week.
 

Some elective surgery at Christchurch Hospital will be postponed in coming weeks to reduce the pressure on the Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
 

Pregnant women or those who have given birth in the previous ten days are advised to phone their GP or the Canterbury Flu Line (0800 37 30 37) promptly if they become unwell with flu-like symptoms.
 

Canterbury’s seven rural Flu Centres are being “well attended” by people with influenza, says Head of the Canterbury Primary Care Pandemic Group Dr Phil Schroeder.
 

People with influenza should stay home from work for at least a week to stop the spread of the flu to their work colleagues.
 

Another seven children have today been confirmed as having measles, bringing the total number of confirmed or suspected cases in Canterbury to 62 since the outbreak began in June.
 

An increase in the number of out-of-town flu patients at the Christchurch Central Flu Centre has led to the opening today of two more centres in Rolleston and Rangiora.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health Division has now been notified of a total 45 confirmed or suspected cases in the measles outbreak, which began in Christchurch in early June.
 

Canterbury people with influenza are asked to stay at home for at least seven days after their symptoms begin to avoid spreading the illness to others. They are also asked to keep children who are unwell with influenza away from school for ten days.
 

People with significant health conditions who become ill with influenza are urged to telephone their General Practice or the Canterbury Flu Line for advice within 48 hours of their first symptoms.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health Division has so far been able to contact 51 of the 54 children who may have been exposed to two preschoolers with measles.
 

Being a little community minded will help everyone come through the current influenza pandemic in better shape, says Dr Phil Schroeder, who heads the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health Division has so far identified 15 confirmed and six probable cases in Christchurch’s measles outbreak.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health Division has so far identified eight confirmed and nine probable cases in Christchurch’s measles outbreak.
 

As part of the Canterbury health sector’s response to the influenza pandemic, Tamiflu is available to the general public through Flu Centre visits or by phone contact with GPs rather than through pharmacies.
 

The family of the Christchurch man who died last Thursday from suspected swine flu has asked the Canterbury District Health Board to release the following statement.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health Division has  identified another six teenagers and children likely to have measles, following confirmation late last week that four Christchurch Boys High School pupils had  the disease.
 

Volunteers and technology are combining in response to the current influenza pandemic. Thanks to a website launched today people affected by the flu who are unable to do everyday things like pick up medicine, walk pets or shop can ask for help from the community.
 

Four Christchurch Boys High School pupils have been confirmed as having measles this week and another is suspected of having the disease.
 

Influenza A (H1N1) seems to have reached rural Canterbury with rural GPs and Flu Centres reporting an increased number of people with influenza-like illness, according to Dr Phil Schroeder, who heads the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group.
 

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) today met with aged residential care providers from across the region to explain its plans to offer increased support to help older people to stay in their homes.
 

People who are unwell with flu-symptoms are asked to stay away from public events and meetings to help prevent the spread of Influenza A (H1N1).
 

People who are unwell with flu-symptoms are asked to stay away from public events and meetings to help prevent the spread of Influenza A (H1N1).
 

People who have been to a Canterbury Flu Centre and later become more unwell should return for further assessment, according to Dr Phil Schroeder, who leads the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group.
 

Canterbury District Health Board is continuing to make progress on implementing a new national programme that offers free health and development checks to four year olds.
 

Cantabrians worried about their influenza symptoms are being urged to telephone the Canterbury Flu Line instead of turning up without an appointment at Flu Centres across the region.
 

Canterbury’s first Flu Centre will tomorrow, as planned, be extended to three times its current size to cope with future demand for its services.
 

Canterbury’s first Flu Centre, that was opened last Friday 19 June, has so far seen 157 people for medical assessment of their flu symptoms.
 

The hours at the central Christchurch Flu Centre have been extended to cope with the number of people being referred there with flu symptoms.
 

From today (Saturday 20 June), Cantabrians can call a dedicated Canterbury Flu Line - 0800 37 30 37 - to seek medical advice if they are concerned about their influenza symptoms.
 

Canterbury District Health Board will move its response to the current Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic to the Manage it phase today.
 

Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group and District Health Boards are advising Cantabrians to prepare now for the increased amount of flu that will be in our community this winter.
 

A larger Influenza Screening Clinic will open in Christchurch tomorrow (Friday 19 June) to cope with increasing numbers of people suspected of having Influenza A (H1N1).
 

A screening unit has opened today for contacts of the cluster of Influenza A (H1N1) cases in east Christchurch.
 

There have been eight more confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) in Canterbury today bringing the total in the region to 39.  Staff in Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health division are working to identify contacts of the cases.
 

Thirteen more cases of Influenza A (H1N1) have been confirmed in Canterbury tonight bringing the total number of officially reported cases to 31 in the region.
 

Another case of Influenza A (H1N1) has been confirmed in Canterbury, bringing the total number of officially reported cases to 19 in the region.
 

Two more cases of Influenza A (H1N1) have been confirmed in Canterbury, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Canterbury to five. These two cases are in addition to the Ministry of Health’s total of 34 from earlier today.
 

A third case of Influenza A (H1N1) has been confirmed in Canterbury, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand to 20.
 

Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne, today in Ashburton, officially opened the first of 94 mobile dental surgeries that will be introduced as part of a nationwide upgrade of oral health services for New Zealand communities.
 

Canterbury has topped the country for the highest number of influenza vaccinations so far this year.  The region reported 114,970 in the first 18 weeks of the four month influenza immunisation campaign. 
 

Detailed planning for possible pandemic influenza is continuing across the Canterbury health sector.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health division is continuing to emphasise the importance of anyone with flu-like symptoms who has been in North America or Mexico in the past week to telephone their General Practice or after hours service.
 

Canterbury’s senior clinical leaders are asking their colleagues to avoid prescribing Tamiflu to people who are well and focus on prescribing the medicine to the few people who are significantly unwell from influenza.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health division is continuing to identify and screen people who are unwell and have returned from Mexico or North America in the past seven days.
 

Thirteen of the fifteen unwell people in Canterbury, from Saturday morning’s NZ1 flight from Los Angeles to Auckland, do not have swine flu.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health division has established a presence at Christchurch International Airport to assist passengers from overseas that identify themselves as being unwell.   They are also providing information to incoming passengers about swine flu precautions in New Zealand.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health division has now been in contact with 42 people in Canterbury who were on the same flight as the Auckland students suspected of having swine flu.
 

Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health division has been in contact with 37 people in Canterbury who were on the same flight as the Auckland students suspected of having swine flu.
 

Canterbury District Health Board, like the Ministry of Health, is closely monitoring the swine flu occurring in Mexico and in small numbers in the USA.
 

The Canterbury District Health Board is to embark on a major planning exercise looking at all of its facilities and land to determine what needs to be done for the future.
 

A career at Canterbury Health Laboratories is a great choice for young people with an interest in science. That is the message of a new DVD called Canterbury Health Laboratories - The People, the Science, the Future.
 

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health, Dr Alistair Humphrey has commended Hurunui District Council staff and councillors on responding promptly to concerns raised under the Drinking Water amendments of the Health Act. 
 

South Island DHBs have come together to plan long-term, viable health services across the mainland.
 

Canterbury District Health Board has welcomed last night’s TV3 Target programme as it publicised some of the problems which result from granting liquor licences to convenience stores.
 

The number of Canterbury five year olds with cavities in their teeth dropped by 12 per cent between 2000 and 2008, according to the latest statistics from Canterbury District Health Board’s Community Dental Service.
 

The incidence of whooping cough (pertussis) has been steadily rising in Canterbury and nationally over the last year and is causing serious concern, according to Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Ramon Pink.
 

Another Christchurch dairy has been caught selling to an underage volunteer this week and is likely to face prosecution. Thirteen others in the same operation refused to sell cigarettes when the volunteer failed to produce identification – some retailers even reprimanded the youth.
 

Rangiora Hospital is continuing to attract women looking for a low key setting to give birth.
 

A free vaccination programme that will help protect girls and young women against cervical cancer will be extended this year to include all young women, aged 12-18 years, in Canterbury.