Health New Zealand has confirmed that more than 100 patients with gynaecological cancer in Wellington must travel to Christchurch for surgery.
Chief medical officer of Capital Coast and Hutt Valley, Andre Cromhout, confirmed that Wellington Hospital’s sole gynaeoncologist – who left the service in November last year – would not be replaced.
In a bid to “better utilise available clinical expertise”, Health New Zealand was consolidating its services, he said. It means gynaecological oncology surgery over the next four to five years, would take place “mainly in Christchurch and Auckland”.
Cromhout said the result was that 130 women per year in the central region – Wellington, Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, MidCentral, Whanganui, Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay – would have to travel to Christchurch to receive more complex care.
He said there would be help with the logistical and financial challenges, but recognised “having to travel to Christchurch for treatment will be a significant inconvenience to many women and their families who are already distressed”.
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He said annually more than 600 women in the central region received gynaeoncology support and some surgery would still take place once-a-month in Wellington when a Christchurch-based gynaecological oncologist visited.
Other services, such as medical and radiation oncology and specialist nursing support for gynaecological oncology patients would also continue, he said.
“Our focus remains on ensuring we minimise the travel for patients and their families as much as possible. Work is underway to consider the best long-term approach for delivering gynaecological oncology services in the future.
“We don’t anticipate that the decision to shift more acute surgeries from Wellington to Christchurch will materially affect wait times. These wait times will continue to be monitored.”
rnz.co.nz