Policy on scanner access criticised

Otago MP Jacqui Dean believes North Otago people are being subjected to unnecessary stress over access to Oamaru Hospital's CT scanner.

The CT (computer tomography) scanner, in operation since earlier this year, could be used only by patients who paid.

Those utilising it had medical insurance, were ACC patients or were willing to pay.

Publicly-funded patients in the Waitaki district have to go to Dunedin for CT scans because the Otago District Health Board holds the contract for those scans.

Last week, Mrs Dean heard from a man whose wife was initially on a waiting list for a scan in Dunedin.

They decided to pay $500 to have it done in Oamaru rather than wait and it revealed her condition was critical and an operation was needed immediately.

Her electorate agent had received a call from another constituent whose wife was on the waiting list for a scan in Dunedin and who had an appointment to see a specialist later this week.

They felt seeing a specialist before the scan was pointless.

Mrs Dean believed those two cases were "just the tip of the iceberg" when it came to patient stress resulting from an in-ability to access Oamaru Hospital's scanner.

Having to wait for appointments for what might be a life-threatening condition was worrying enough.

People also had to worry about lost income, the cost of petrol and the potential dangers of travelling to Dunedin on winter roads, she said.

She urged the ODHB to provide more support for smaller regional hospitals.

In April, ODHB chief executive Brian Rousseau said there was no specific additional funding agreement between the ODHB and Oamaru Hospital for publicly-funded CT scans.

Before buying the scanner, the ODHB made it clear to Waitaki District Health Services it should not do that on the understanding that funding would be available.

Yesterday, Mr Rousseau said ODHB chairman Richard Thomson would be meeting Mrs Dean "in the very near future" to discuss the CT scanner and funding of WDHS.