More than 200 people have been waiting more than four months for surveillance checks, a figure a report to be considered by the SDHB on Thursday said was still too high but which was a significant improvement.
"The trajectory is signalling that we will have no patients waiting over the maximum time by September 2021," SDHB chief executive Chris Fleming said.
"Dunedin Hospital has almost recovered completely, and the primary focus is on Southland Hospital, ensuring that all lists are filled and Saturday lists undertaken where able."
Limited capacity in Southland meant that the board was considering offering patients who were able to travel the chance to have their appointment in Dunedin, Mr Fleming said.
The SDHB’s gastroenterology service has been the subject of several highly critical reviews, and last year the board instigated an improvement programme.
The recommendations of the last of those reports, the Bissett report, had largely been enacted, Mr Fleming said.
That included a new computerised system for case referrals, and refinements to improve the quality and accuracy of reporting of cases.
"The new referral has compulsory information which will increase the quality of the referral and it also clarifies whether a junior consultant is requesting a colonoscopy for their senior medical officer or on their own," Mr Fleming said.
"This is an important distinction because it has been agreed that any requests by a gastro-intestinal specialist will be automatically accepted."
Mr Fleming suggested that the board would soon be asked to consider a request for more resources for the gastroenterology service to allow it to do more scoping.
"The reports we have developed and are developing are important as they demonstrate where this additional resource would be of value."
In its quarterly health targets report to the Ministry of Health, the SDHB reported by the end of November 86.7% of people who had recorded a positive test for possible colon cancer had been offered an appointment within 45 days — the target is 95%.
"We note your efforts to address non-urgent colonoscopy wait times and some improvement in the surveillance maximum target," the ministry said in response.
"However, we continue to be concerned with recommended urgent and surveillance targets being non-compliant."
The significant number of people continuing to wait longer than the maximum recommended time meant the ministry referred the performance of the colonoscopy service to Mr Fleming.
The board replied that catching up with procedures postponed because of Covid-19 had taken longer than expected.
It was addressing the problem and would use government funding, when available, to employ extra nurses to increase the amount of work the gastroenterology service could provide.
