A discussion on the fate of the Otago Fertility Service was taken off the agenda of this week's Southern District Health Board meeting.
Initially, a proposal to outsource the service was to be considered in the public-excluded session, but the board issued an updated agenda in which it had been removed.
Chairman Joe Butterfield told the Otago Daily Times the board was still talking to staff about the proposal. He said it was not unusual for such negotiations to take longer than planned.
It would be back on the agenda for next month's meeting.
Staff have sharply criticised the board's proposal, saying its argument in favour of outsourcing was based on faulty information.
