Acute surgery time approved
Acute surgery time approved
The Southern District Health Board has approved increasing Dunedin Hospital acute theatre time by 35 hours a week, subject to two conditions.
Elspeth McLean
Outgoing Rousseau lauded
Outgoing Rousseau lauded
Otago and Southland communities will be grateful in future for the results Southern District Health Board chief executive Brian Rousseau has achieved, board chairman Joe Butterfield says.
Committee urged to ask public about buildings
Committee urged to ask public about buildings
The community should be asked whether it has any interest in retaining the structurally unsound old nurses' home and administration building at Southland Hospital, hospitals' advisory committee member Richard Thomson says.
Smoking policy no issue in Southland
Smoking policy no issue in Southland
There does not appear to be any large consumer group concerned about the gradual progress towards Southland' Hospital's inpatient mental health unit becoming smoke-free, the Southern District Health Board's hospitals' advisory committee was told yesterday.
Thomson calls for decision on acute surgery
Thomson calls for decision on acute surgery
Decisions to ease problems with access to acute surgery at Dunedin Hospital should not be postponed because of the National Health Board review of hospital systems, Southern District Health Board member Richard Thomson says.
SDHB to consider purchase of TrendCare software
SDHB to consider purchase of TrendCare software
The Southern District Health Board, at its meeting in Dunedin today, will consider spending $306,301 on a software system to improve the way it allocates nursing staff to meet the needs of patients.
Other EDs showing up Dunedin
Other EDs showing up Dunedin
No patients waiting in corridors at Dunedin Hospital's emergency department (ED) should be part of the hospital's vision, Mike Hunter says.
ED observation unit considered
ED observation unit considered
A business case for an emergency department observation unit at Dunedin Hospital will be considered in the closed session of the Southern District Health Board hospitals' advisory committee meeting today.
Pharmacy loss saddens
Pharmacy loss saddens
The Catlins Pharmacy at Owaka will revert to depot status from August, having proven uneconomical to run three days a week as a pharmacy.
'Living legend' at nurses' conference
'Living legend' at nurses' conference
More than 300 mental health nurses attending their national conference in Dunedin this week will get the chance to meet a woman awarded "living legend" status by the American Academy of Nursing.
Hand and wrist injuries a cow of a thing
Hand and wrist injuries a cow of a thing
The cattle are kicking, the wrist it could break ... This might not always be the outcome, but research by doctors at Southland Hospital found that more than half of the cow-related injuries seen at the emergency department were from kicks affecting the hand and wrist.
Issues seen for dental therapists in the South
Issues seen for dental therapists in the South
The Southern District Health Board could face difficulty recruiting and retaining dental therapists as conditions offered are not as good as those in some other areas, the Public Service Association says.
Board keeps mum on 'issues' at Wakari
Board keeps mum on 'issues' at Wakari
No decisions have been made about any changes to the ISIS rehabilitation service at Wakari Hospital, but "some issues" are under consideration by staff, Southern District Health Board's mental health and community services general manager Elaine Chisnall says.
Doctors signal pre-poll action
Doctors signal pre-poll action
If senior doctors' national agreement is not settled by a week before the general election they may reconsider industrial action.
Assessment progressing
Assessment progressing
The bulk of information gathering for the assessment of Dunedin Hospital systems by a National Health Board has been completed, but some aspects are still under scrutiny.
Harbour Cone prospects
Harbour Cone prospects
Developing an old house as a visitor and education centre, community orchards, small-scale specialised wood lots and more tracks for mountain biking, walking and horse riding are among possibilities for the publicly-owned Harbour Cone block.
Tobacco plain pack concerns dismissed
Tobacco plain pack concerns dismissed
Concerns New Zealand could face legal action by Philip Morris if it pursues plain tobacco packaging have been dismissed by the Public Health Association.
Indignant as anything
Indignant as anything
The recent comments from Employers and Manufacturers' Association chief executive Alasdair Thompson that women were paid less because they took sick days when they had their period continue to reverberate.
SDHB comments on lignite plans
SDHB comments on lignite plans
The Southern District Health Board has not taken a stance on Solid Energy NZ Ltd's proposal for a lignite briquetting plant near Mataura, but wants a thorough health impact assessment undertaken before any large scale mining applications are made in Southland.
Programme to be revealed
Programme to be revealed
Management of chronic kidney disease is likely to be given a higher priority by Southern Health Primary Health Organisation following feedback on its proposed clinical programme.