Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell yesterday called Southern District Health Board chief executive Carole Heatly's response to the issue ''patronising and insulting''.
Mr Powell also said the financial situation at Dunedin Hospital would have been less fraught if the health board had listened to staff earlier.
It emerged this week orthopaedic surgeon Associate Prof David Gwynne-Jones has resigned as Dunedin Hospital's orthopaedics clinical leader, although he will continue his work as a surgeon. He cited frustration with the health board as the cause.
Prof Gwynne-Jones said in an email he was ''tired of fighting and having my work and recommendations questioned or ignored by management''.
Ms Heatly responded senior doctors needed to see beyond their specialty area and recognise the limits of health funding.
She said Prof Gwynne-Jones wanted to advocate ''solely for orthopaedic surgery'', and the board had wider responsibilities.
Mr Powell said Ms Heatly had ''missed the boat completely by being both patronising and insulting to someone who has given extremely good service over a period of years in clinical leadership in Otago''.
''Her comment about being only concerned about orthopaedics is nonsense.''
Prof Gwynne-Jones would obviously advocate for orthopaedic patients, but many of the issues he raised were about the safety of the operating theatres.
''It has not been for the safety of orthopaedic patients. It's been the safety of all patients, whatever form of surgery,'' Mr Powell said.
''When people actually stick their head above the parapet and are prepared to actually report the facts as they see it, based on a considerable amount of expertise and experience, it is wrong to then be denigrated by the chief executive.''
Mr Powell said the issue of financial problems predated Ms Heatly.
In the past, when the financial position was less ''dire'', the culture of management had been unresponsive.
''That existed before Carole Heatly, and regrettably is continuing now."
The financial pressures at the hospital had been made worse ''by the need to substantially rebuild Dunedin Hospital, particularity the operating theatres''.
''These calls have been coming for some time. It is leadership neglect over some years that has led to the DHB being in this position.''
A spokesman for Ms Heatly said late yesterday she had ''no wish to debate this publicly with Ian Powell''.
