Cancer now terminal after error
Cancer now terminal after error
An Otago woman who believes she was regarded as a "time waster" by her doctors is now dying from a cancer which was not spotted on an MRI scan.
Mike Houlahan
Samurai sword confrontation after turned away at Wakari
Samurai sword confrontation after turned away at Wakari
A woman whose Dunedin friend confronted her with a samurai sword says the incident would never have happened if her friend had not been turned away by mental health services hours before.
Staffing woes affect patient care at Dunedin ward
Staffing woes affect patient care at Dunedin ward
Staffing woes after a merging of surgical wards at Dunedin Hospital resulted in healthcare assistants being asked to watch up to four patients at risk of self-harm at a time.
VR helping develop new hospital plans
VR helping develop new hospital plans
Dunedin Hospital staff were invited to play video games yesterday - but the virtual reality technology they were trying out has serious medical purposes.
Dying bowel cancer patient spreads message
Dying bowel cancer patient spreads message
Toni Adie-Kinraid is not about sugar-coating things or wasting time.
Screening programme pays dividends in South
Screening programme pays dividends in South
Bowel screening has detected one case of cancer in the four months since the programme was launched in the southern region.
Increase in dementia cases raises legal issues
Increase in dementia cases raises legal issues
An increase in the number of people with dementia means New Zealand urgently needs to address gaps in the law concerning mental capacity, a Dunedin researcher says.
Doctor to be assessed after cancer scan botch-up
Doctor to be assessed after cancer scan botch-up
The Medical Council will assess the competence of a doctor whose failure to follow up a scan result has left a Dunedin woman facing terminal cancer.
Woman dying after follow-up failure
Woman dying after follow-up failure
A Dunedin woman is dying of cancer and her doctor's competence to practise will likely be reviewed.
Musical theatre takes on a new meaning
Musical theatre takes on a new meaning
Surgery in New Zealand hospitals has a soundtrack, newly published research in the New Zealand Medical Journal says.
Hub is not enough, midwife group says
Hub is not enough, midwife group says
Opening a mother and child hub in Wanaka will not address the region's main problem - a lack of midwives - a community group says.
Melanomas possibly missed
Melanomas possibly missed
Potentially lethal melanomas may be being missed by doctors, a University of Otago researcher says.
‘Wrong measurement’ — maternity centre may take action
‘Wrong measurement’ — maternity centre may take action
The operators of Lumsden Maternity Centre believe the decision to downgrade the centre was based on an inaccurate comparison of data and are still considering taking legal action to maintain its...
Study: media affects health funding ideas
Study: media affects health funding ideas
Readers believe health money is distributed unfairly due to media coverage of funding decisions, new University of Otago research suggests.
Maternity care review criticised
Maternity care review criticised
The needs of parents in the Upper Clutha region are being ignored by the Southern DHB's maternity services review, Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean says.
Price hike a problem for some pool users
Price hike a problem for some pool users
Rising prices at the Dunedin Physio Pool have forced some long-time users to stop using the facility.
Ministry was asked to review SDHB maternity centre plan
Ministry was asked to review SDHB maternity centre plan
Ministry of Health staff were asked to review the Southern District Health Board's controversial maternity strategy, Health Minister David Clark said yesterday.
Surprise as flu striking fewer Kiwis
Surprise as flu striking fewer Kiwis
The number of flu cases in New Zealand remains at an unseasonable low, leaving scientists pleased but slightly baffled as to why so few people have fallen foul of the annual winter disease.
No record of psych care refusals
No record of psych care refusals
A Dunedin mental health advocate is astonished the Southern District Health Board does not track how many people are turned away from emergency psychiatric care.
Two reports of poor follow-up
Two reports of poor follow-up
Futher reports of scans not being followed up properly - including one resulting in partial blindness - have emerged in the wake of a finding by the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) of...