DHB restricts elective surgery

CONTINUING staff shortages has brought about another change to Wanganui Hospital services, with the Whanganui District Health Board deciding to restrict elective surgery to those people to living within the board's boundary.
That decision means people living in Patea will have to look to the Taranaki health region for elective surgery, rather than Wanganui.
Joel George, Wanganui Hospital general manager, said the hospital was struggling to see patients and guarantee them treatment within a six-month timeframe.
Initially, the board had also looked at cutting Waverley and Waitotara residents out of the frame too, but changed its mind.
This was a compromise reached between health professionals and members of the public, who attended a meeting in Patea on April 30.
Mr George said both Whanganui and Taranaki DHBs were represented along with the Hawera PHO, and GPs from Patea and Waverley, along with the Waverley Health Watch committee.
He said the meeting recognised that many of the people in the Patea and Waverley areas have a GP in Wanganui "but we're struggling to see patients, and give them certainty of treatment, within the specified timeframes".
He said the bottom line was that anyone needing emergency or acute care would be treated at Wanganui Hospital, regardless of where they live.
Mr George said all DHBs, including the Whanganui, were required to "manage" patients according to Ministry of Health guidelines.
"These guidelines require patients who are accepted on to an outpatient or inpatient waiting list to be seen within six months and additional funding for elective services is available to those boards that meet those standards."
"Our hospital has ongoing shortages among senior medical staff, particularly anaesthetists and surgeons and these shortages have reduced the hospital's capacity."
"While we would like to offer elective surgery to all those who require it regardless of where they live the reality is that we are already struggling to meet the needs of our own community for elective services," Mr George told the Chronicle.
And not complying with the guidelines meant that additional funding was not available to the hospital.
Mr George said restricting the Wanganui Hospital's services to those living within the Whanganui board boundary "we are encouraging those people that live within the Taranaki boundary to support their local hospital".
He said while elective surgery can only be carried out at Taranaki Base hospital, Hawera's hospital does carry out first specialist appointments. Mr George said only a small number of Patea people would be affected by the decision but it did not mean the situation might not change in future.