Concerns neurosurgeon may not sign up

The Southern District Health Board has offered a contract to a much needed new neurosurgeon, but is not confident the doctor will sign the deal.

The southern neurosurgery service is meant to have three surgeons but it never has.

For several years, Ahmad Taha has been the sole doctor working in Dunedin, despite numerous attempts to hire a specialist for a role in a field with a worldwide shortage.

At least one doctor has previously accepted the role but had to withdraw because they were unable to be registered by the New Zealand Medical Council.

The position the SDHB is trying to fill is a joint hire with the University of Otago and is a combined clinical and teaching role.

At the SDHB’s hospital advisory committee meeting on Monday, specialist services executive director Patrick Ng confirmed a job offer had been made, but expressed little hope it would be accepted.

"Not very, to be honest," he said when asked how hopeful he was the position would be filled.

"We have offered what we think is a reasonable rate for the DHB proportion of their work, the other half of the offer is the university offer and the total package dollar-wise may not be attractive enough for them to pick up the offer."

The offer was made a few months ago but there had been no response, Mr Ng said.

Board chairman Pete Hodgson said the situation was another example of SDHB delays in hiring staff, which often meant targeted clinicians had instead moved on elsewhere.

"It’s pretty troublesome."

Chief executive Chris Fleming said the SDHB would be discussing the situation further with the university.

The university would not comment on the situation.

"This is an ongoing recruitment process so therefore it would be inappropriate to comment," a spokeswoman said.

Southerners have fought to preserve neurosurgery services in Dunedin, and in 2012 the Otago Daily Times was instrumental in a successful $3million fundraising campaign to fund the Neurological Foundation Chair of Neurosurgery at the University of Otago.

mike.houlahan@odt.co.nz