Paul Schofield, of Palmerston, is one of five prostate cancer patients receiving their operations at the private hospital this month.
The surgery was urgently outsourced after an external review of the Dunedin Hospital urology service said some patients were at clinical risk from long wait times.
''We must not allow things to slip back to how they were.
''When better, it is my intention to advertise in your paper to set up a group of concerned citizens.
''There is no transparency at the moment and people are too frightened for their jobs to speak out,'' Mr Schofield said.
Mercy Hospital chief executive Richard Whitney said no prostate surgeries were outsourced from Dunedin Hospital this financial year until the external review was released this month.
The operations were done by the urologists who work at Dunedin Hospital, but in their private capacity.
''We have been tasked to perform five by the close of August.''
Mr Schofield was diagnosed in March, after paying for his own biopsy.
Southern District Health Board chief executive Chris Fleming said all patients who were overdue for surgery had been booked for procedures.
''With our clinicians we are developing an action plan that includes as a key priority addressing the backlog of patients across the service both inpatient and outpatient.''
It is understood there is a large backlog of patients waiting for biopsies.
