Nelson surgical services reduced

The Nelson-Marlborough District Health Board will reduce surgical services, after recording a $1.2 million deficit in the first quarter.

People with non-urgent conditions would be affected, said hospital advisory committee chairman John Inder, but the board was currently doing more surgery than it was contracted for.

Elective services in the area were higher than for many other district health boards, he said.

The decision comes just weeks after the board revealed that 12 elective procedures would be lost each week until the end of the June financial year.

All elective surgery will be postponed for about six weeks over summer.