The leader of the opposition has ratcheted up his attack on the Government's dismantling of the national health targets – warning it could return Tauranga to the dark days of the early 2000s when patients were forced offshore for routine medical services.

Talking to SunLive today, Simon Bridges labelled the move 'outrageous” and said it would have real effect for Tauranga. 'Because, over time, the lack of accountability for DHBs will lead to more preventable illnesses and diseases and ultimately more deaths.”

The national health targets publicly address the district health board's ability to deliver, among other things, reasonable treatment times, numbers getting surgery, waiting times in emergency departments and immunisations.

Health Minister David Clark quietly scrapped the health targets – citing 'perverse incentives” they created. He said the old targets have been dumped as they weren't fit for purpose and he's working on some new ones. "We believe they're actually leading to worse health outcomes overall for New Zealanders.”

But Simon Bridges says basically it means the local DHB will be less accountable in terms of what it's achieving for locals. 'We won't have the same access to information. And it's the old story, if you can't or don't measure it, you can't improve it.”

He insists he's not scaremongering. 'We saw it under Labour in 2000 when Helen Clark and Michael Cullen increased health spending, in fact doubled it. But the outcome didn't improve, they got worse.”

Simon says he remembers very well, as a new MP, the single biggest issue was Tauranga residents who couldn't get basic operation and services from the hospital. 'In some cases they were waiting for years.”

National, he says, turned that around. 'But to do that it needed measurements and targets. 'The politicians and the public could hold the DHB accountable.”

Now the leader of the opposition fears a return to the bad old days.

'It won't happen today, tomorrow, next week or next month, but over time. Sure as eggs Labour has reverted to type – we will see more money thrown in and less good outcomes.”

And he wouldn't be surprised if those less good outcomes included Tauranga people having to go offshore to get what the medical services they needed.

'Just as a business or an athlete must set goals and targets, it's incredibly important for a DHB to do so. And what's worse, the Government plan hasn't gone through any cabinet process. When in opposition Labour used the targets, and rightly so, to hold us to account. Now we won't be able to do likewise. And it will be patients who will feel the effects over time.”

The 12017/18 Ministry of health targets included shorter stays in emergency departments.

'Ninety-five percent of patients will be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours.”

It included improved access to elective surgery. 'The volume of elective surgery will be increased by an average of 4000 discharges per year.”

The targets provided for faster cancer treatment. 'Ninety percent of patients will receive their first cancer treatment (or other management) within 62 days of being referred with a high suspicion of cancer.”

The targets covered immunisation.

'Ninety-five percent of eight-month-olds will have their primary course of immunisation on time.” And healthy kids – 'Ninety-five percent of obese children will be offered a referral to a health professional for clinical assessment.”