Campaign aims to help health decisions Bore provides possible emergency water supply

A campaign to reduce unnecessary health tests and procedures – particularly among elderly and at-risk patients – is earning increasing support among medical professionals with a further five health organisations coming on board.

The initiative, known as Choosing Wisely, aims to have better decision-making among both patients and doctors, particularly about risky procedures.

‘‘Right now, our potential to harm the healthy is starting to outweigh our ability to help the people who are really ill,’’ said Derek Sherwood, an ophthalmologist and chairman of the Council of Medical Colleges.

‘‘We really want those evidencebased conversations to be better, so the right decision happens for each patient.’’

This week, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) joined the campaign, with a specific focus on the treatment of patients with ‘‘limited life expectancy’’ – namely obese and elderly people.

The college warned that many patients aged over 70 were at high risk for problems after surgery, with 20 per cent experiencing complications within five days.

Ten per cent of those needed to be admitted to critical care, and 5 per cent died within 30 days.

Sherwood said it was encouraging to see more health agencies engage with, and expand upon, the campaign, which began at the end of last year, in partnership with the Health Quality & Safety Commission as well as Consumer New Zealand.

The campaign now has 22 organisations as partners, with the Drilling in Wellington Harbour has found enough fresh water to provide a possible emergency supply for the city should it become cut off by a big quake.

The majority of the city’s water is supplied via a pipe running along State Highway 2, which lies right on a faultline.

If this line were severed, it is predicted that the city and eastern suburbs could be without water for up to 100 days.

Drilling started in June, and viable supplies have already been found in two aquifers at the first bore site, about 800 metres off the Miramar Peninsula.

Wellington Water project director Ulvi Salayev said the expedition had found water in sufficient quantities and flow levels to support its use as an emergency supply.

‘‘It would require treatment to be used for drinking, as early tests have shown it has treatable levels of manganese, iron and ammonia,’’ Salayev said.

"We aim to have emergency water supplies of 20 litres per person per day available within seven days after an event." Wellington Water project director Ulvi Salayev

‘‘But this is just one site and we still have much to learn and will soon start drilling at a new location to get a better understanding of the aquifer.’’

As it stands, Wellington has only enough reserves to supply the city for 19 hours at normal usage.

The bores are one solution to the city’s water supply vulnerability. Others include the creation of a cross-harbour pipeline.

Salayev said the bores would likely supply a more cost-effective option than the pipeline, if they proved adequate.

As well as drilling in the harbour, 11 land-based bores were being drilled and 11 stream-fed emergency water hubs established around the region.

‘‘We aim to have emergency water supplies of 20 litres per person per day available within seven days after an event,’’ Salayev said.

‘‘All Wellingtonians should have enough stored water at home for 20 litres per person, per day for seven days.’’

Drilling at a second site, closer to Matiu/Somes Island, is expected to start in a few weeks.