Neurosurgery debate heats up

There’s nothing like the threat of the loss of health services to galvanise a community, and that certainly is the case in Otago and Southland with a review of neurosurgical services in the South Island.

All South Island DHBs agree that the neurosurgical service should be a regional one. What they can't agree on is whether all six South Island neurosurgeons should be domiciled in Christchurch or whether the status quo should continue – four surgeons in Christchurch and two at Dunedin Hospital.

The CEOs asked the Director-General of Health to convene an expert panel to consider all of the issues and make a recommendation to him.

I'm very keen for this process to be followed. I also want the views of the community to be heard and I've been overwhelmed by the level of correspondence coming to me, my southern colleagues and the Minister expressing support for neurosurgery at Dunedin Hospital.

On the information I have I'm not convinced that patient care will be improved, nor will the financial viability of any of the DHBs be helped by locating all surgeons at Christchurch Hospital. This is a view shared by my southern colleagues and we have articulated this to the Minister of Health.

It was therefore pleasing that the response to an oral question in the House today “Does he think that neurosurgery services should be retained at Dunedin Hospital?” was responded to thus: “I would take a lot of convincing that there shouldn’t be neurosurgical services in Dunedin.”

Promising stuff but its important to let the process the Ministry has put in place be completed. In the meantime I expect lots more correspondence coming through my office.