Dunedin Hospital scanners are working overtime to reduce waiting times, which should be within the targeted 12 weeks by the end of this month.
The Southern District Health Board has been trying to reduce the wait for scans at Dunedin Hospital, which blew out to 40 weeks for routine MRI and CT scans earlier this year.
A paper to the DHB's hospital committee in Invercargill today said the district wait time for routine CT and MRI scans was 12-21 weeks.
The MRI and CT scanners in Dunedin were running an extra three hours a day, four days a week. The extra scanning would last up to eight weeks.
Dunedin has also been running a Saturday MRI list and referring patients to Oamaru and Central Otago for CT scans.
The waiting list had also been ''validated'' to ensure patients still needed a scan.
''A number of people were taken off the list, as they no longer require a scan.
''A plan is being developed to ensure regular validation of people waiting to ensure waiting times are current and accurate,'' the report said.
Board member Branko Sijnja, contacted yesterday, was delighted the long-standing waiting list ''bulge'' was being cleared due to a ''wonderful effort''.
''Overall, we can be very pleased with that. There was quite a massive waiting time; they must have really worked hard to do that.''
He acknowledged some patients might have paid for their own procedure rather than waiting.
The issue was with routine scans, as patients needing urgent scans had them on time.
''The whole board was very concerned about the length of time for elective [scans] ... the elective list was another issue. That was an awful long time to wait.''
The board would start with a ''clear pitch'' after this month and, hopefully, not get into the same situation, Dr Sijnja said.
