Southern communities speak on neurosurgery

Yesterday I was a member of delegations of Southern MPs that received a petition calling on the government to maintain neurosurgical services at Dunedin hospital as part of the South Island regional service. This issue has been bubbling away for most of the year and while South Island DHBs agree there should be a regional service, they can not agree whether all six surgeons should be based in Christchurch or whether the status quo should prevail which is four surgeons in Christchurch and two based in Dunedin Hospital.

Nearly 45,000 Otago and Southland residents signed the petition which is a huge show of support for the retention of the Dunedin based service. All of the MPs want the best level of care that can be provided and on the information I seen so far I am of the view that that should be retaining the surgeons in Dunedin. The Ministry of Health has set up an expert panel to consider the issue and they are due to report back to the Director General in November. After yesterday’s petition they can be under absolutely no illusions about what the people of Otago and Southland think should happen.