ABSTRACT
Over recent years, there has been a growing focus in New Zealand on improving the quality and safety of healthcare and on transforming services to improve health, reduce inequalities, and ensure value for money from the health system. In one New Zealand district health board (DHB)- Counties Manukau Health (CM Health), a proactive approach to health quality and safety recently led to the establishment of Ko Awatea, an organization that aims to lead the transformation of health services in the twenty-first century. The 20,000 Days and Beyond 20,000 Days campaigns were developed to reduce severe pressure on hospital beds at CM Health's main hospital (Middlemore). The first campaign, 20,000 Days, commenced in October 2011. The aim was to avoid the projected growth in demand for beds, and return 20,000 healthy days to the community before the end of July 2013. Central line-associated bacteraemia (CLAB) prevention is a major challenge, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs).
