Civic leaders have been invited to a meeting this Friday in Dunedin to discuss the future of neurosurgery services in the South.
Mayor Peter Chin advised he would be unable to attend but deputy Syd Brown and Cr Kate Wilson would be going in his place.
It was a matter of huge importance for the city and "we want to be able to support the best solution", he said.
Council chief executive Jim Harland has also been invited, but last week his office was unable to say whether he would be attending.
The meeting follows one last month in Christchurch where representatives of the South Island district health boards were unable to reach consensus on the future set-up of neurosurgery services.
The boards could agree there should be one service with six neurosurgeons, but while Canterbury is keen to see all six resident in Christchurch, the southern board wants two resident in Dunedin.
The meeting in Dunedin is designed to give independent consultant Dr Ian Brown, of Nelson, who is reviewing the service for the South Island boards, more information about the issues of concern to the southern board.
Friday's meeting is also expected to be attended by University of Otago health sciences pro-vice-chancellor Prof Don Roberton and Dunedin School of Medicine dean Dr John Adams.
They will outline concerns about the impact a service with no resident Dunedin neurosurgeons would have on the university.
Senior hospital clinicians from a variety of disciplines which could be affected by any decision not to have neurosurgery at Dunedin Hospital will also be attending.
Those attending from the southern board will be chief executive Brian Rousseau, chairman Errol Millar and deputy Paul Menzies.
Lead chief executive for South Island health services planning Chris Fleming (South Canterbury) has confirmed his attendance.
After the meeting, Dr Brown will report back to the boards' representatives, who will then convey any result of the discussion to their respective boards for approval or otherwise.
This means that a decision on the service is not expected until next month.
In the meantime, the southern board is using locums to carry out neurosurgery.
The board has advised it has specialists interested in coming to the city permanently, but they are awaiting the outcome of the deliberations on the issue.
A request for a copy of Dr Brown's interim report, already discussed by board representatives, was turned down by Mr Fleming, who said the report was only a draft and, according to the agreed process between the boards, the paper would only be made public once it was a final report.
The Otago Daily Times has sought an urgent review of his decision from the Ombudsmen's Office.
