Lakes DHB says it will take at least 12 months to clear the surgical backlog caused by Covid-19. Photo / Andrew Warner
Lakes DHB says it will take at least 12 months to clear the surgical backlog caused by Covid-19. Photo / Andrew Warner
There is a backlog of more than 500 operations in Rotorua and Taupō - despite 738 surgeries being performed during lockdown.
Between March 23 and May 31, 513 "planned surgeries and procedures" with the Lakes District Health Board were deferred due to Covid-19 restrictions and response to the pandemic, industrialaction and vacancies.
A further 44 operations were postponed at the request of patients.
Lakes DHB says the backlog could take up to 18 months to clear.
A health board spokeswoman said despite the deferrals, 690 patient procedures were still carried out in Rotorua elective theatres during the lockdown. Forty-eight were held in Taupō.
"This is an on-going piece of work which we continue to work on over the next few months as we return to normal levels of operating and the four-month target set by the Ministry of Health.
"The backlog is a result of industrial action and vacancies as well as the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. It will take 12 to 18 months to catch up."
The spokeswoman told the Rotorua Daily Post in May, there were long-term vacancies that had now been filled.
"This will help with our recovery plan as we already had an existing backlog due to high demand and vacancies," she said.
All patients awaiting surgery have been sent a letter informing them of the potential impact of Covid-19, the spokeswoman said. The DHB would send out further communications as it returned to normal levels of operating.
Dr Jo Scott-Jones said it was horrifying that two months in lockdown created a 12 to 18 month backlog. Photo / Supplied
Pinnacle Midlands Health Network medical director Jo Scott-Jones said while the logistics of running a hospital were complicated, the backlog was currently one of the significant pressures on primary care.
"It is quite horrifying to think that two months of lockdown led to a year or 18-month backlog for surgery.
"Primary Care is left in that position of supporting people if they are in the delayed group, so we will be advocating as hard as we can for people to get access to care - people do not get referred to the hospital without good reason."
Korowai Aroha chief executive Hariata Vercoe said it was a fantastic idea and would like it the Lakes DHB would to follow suit, due to the higher representation of Māori in the area.
"Māori often don't make health a priority and usually downplay how much pain they are really in, but if they are brave enough to make that leap and then they are delayed for any reason they are unlikely to follow up.
"It's good that as a result of the pandemic, something good has come and there is a focus on this lens."
When asked about prioritising Māori patients in an effort to ensure those groups didn't fall further behind the Pākeha majority, Lakes DHB chief executive Nick Saville-Wood said the board was currently determining how it could increase planned care services to Māori.
