There have been mixed reactions to a meeting between Canterbury health officials and senior surgeons over what’s been described by some as a crisis with elective surgery wait lists at Christchurch hospital.
The meeting to discuss perioperative services as a whole was originally meant to be held on March 8, but had to be rescheduled to March 22, a spokesperson for Te Whata Ora – Waitaha told 1News.
Cancer surgeon Christopher Wakeman says at this morning’s meeting it became clear from a colorectal stand point, only cancers would be operated on, with pre-cancer or benign work needing to be transferred to Auckland.
Wakeman says it’s uncertain how long this situation will last for.
The issue of elective surgical wait lists blew up last week when Senior Surgeons Professor Frank Frizelle and Wakeman went on the record expressing their concern for patients and a lack of progress in fixing waiting times.
Te Whatu Ora Waitaha, formerly the Canterbury District Health Board, said all acute cancer and non-deferrable surgeries were still going ahead in Canterbury and that it's delivered 73% of planned surgeries in the year to date.
That was strongly refuted by professor Frizelle who described the comment as “complete b******s” and “bulls**t”.
The current situation has been worsened by the long standing issue of a lack of anaesthetic technicians, who are required for surgeries to go ahead.
1News understands there are currently 29 vacancies in the department.
Professor Frizelle was more positive after this morning’s meeting telling 1News there are still issues but it’s encouraging health officials seemed to be listening to their concerns.
He says Te Whata Ora has also taken some measures to improve acute surgical issues by hiring agency staff for cover and are addressing other issues of concern for anaesthetic technicians.
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