The Hawke's Bay District Health Board has denied an emotionally charged request to continue funding for a specialised diabetes service.
The board recently cancelled Dr Janet Titchener's contract to treat patients and educate clinicians, saying the service - which cost $150,000 a year - was not good value for money and supplementary, rather than an alternative, to existing services.
Lobby group Put Patients First asked the board to extend Dr Titchener's contract to allow for consultation and a patient survey, allow an independent review of the financial value of her services compared with others in Hawke's Bay and look for a way to extend her treatment model.
A deputation of about 40 from the group made a presentation at the board's monthly meeting yesterday starting with a video montage of patient stories - some in tears - praising Dr Titchener's diabetes service.
Hastings district councillor Henare O'Keefe was group spokesman for the presentation. He said the qualities of the service could not be measured in management terms.