Cuts could hit South's economy

The Southern economy could suffer if Dunedin Hospital loses its neurosurgery services and training at the University of Otago Medical School is affected, Otago Southland Employers' Association chief executive John Scandrett says.

Both attracted the sort of intellectual capital that boosted spending, promoted business and created new economic opportunities, and both needed to be retained in their best and fullest forms, Mr Scandrett said this week.

• More on the neurosurgery debate...

"We need to make it quite clear that we value the retention of a high-quality service that feeds into a high-quality research facility in the university's medical school.

"If you depreciate the service, then you are in danger of depreciating the school - and both not only benefit our community health, they also attract and retain some of the thinkers and students that are important to our economy."

The 1450-member group has thrown its weight behind calls for Health Minister Tony Ryall to step in and guarantee the Southern District Health Board will not lose Dunedin Hospital's full neurosurgery services or have them undermined.

Members are being urged to write to Mr Ryall, and Mr Scandrett is waiting to hear whether he can meet Mr Ryall soon in Wellington.

The battle was one for all businesses in the region. Everything from service businesses to new science benefited from a strong and vibrant hospital and university, Mr Scandrett said.

The services and opportunities both attracted many of the highly-qualified researchers and specialists who continued to develop some of the key components of the region's biotechnology, infotechnology, and health science business clusters.

There were real fears losing neurosurgery services would be the "thin end of the wedge" - and that the fight to retain them might not be the last for the region's health, education, and business sectors, Mr Scandrett said.

"We need to continue to attract the best researchers and students we can. Both are important to us, and anything that could threaten that into the future must be challenged."

Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie said the chamber was also likely to ask its members to support the campaign. The community could not afford to lose an important health service.

The service benefited the medical school, which in turn attracted students, researchers and research money to the region.

It was not a stretch to say the loss of one service could affect many others, he said.

"I'd rather not speculate as to what this might mean, but I think that, as a community, we should stand up and make sure we don't leave it to chance."