Use of opioids rising in Otago, survey finds
The use of opioids in the Otago region is climbing according to the latest survey of drugs in the workplace, although cannabis remains far and away the region’s illicit drug of choice.
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Probe into Te Kaika widened by govt
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Probe into Te Kaika widened by govt
A government probe into under-fire charity Te Kāika is more wide-ranging than previously known, the Otago Daily Times can now reveal.
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Takeover could lead to instability: Powell
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Takeover could lead to instability: Powell
A private equity takeover of Dunedin’s Mercy Hospital could lead to a period of instability at the top, a health commentator warns.
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'Advanced' talks to sell Mercy Hospital
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'Advanced' talks to sell Mercy Hospital
Otago's biggest private hospital is up for sale, and discussions with a potential buyer are said to be ‘‘advanced’’.
Plea made for more dementia facilities
Plea made for more dementia facilities
A Wānaka man caring for his wife, who has dementia, wants the govt to explain what it plans to do about the "desperate shortage" of dementia-level care facilities in southern regions.
Dunedin family awaits crucial drug decision
Dunedin family awaits crucial drug decision
A nervous two-month wait is on the cards for the Dunedin parents of a 18-month-old with cystic fibrosis, as they decide whether to stay or go for the child’s health.
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Build makes list of over-budget projects
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Build makes list of over-budget projects
The almost complete new Dunedin hospital outpatient building is one of the government’s most over-budget projects.
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‘Enshittification’ seen in health reforms
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‘Enshittification’ seen in health reforms
A Dunedin pharmacist is concerned about the ‘‘enshittification’’ of NZ's healthcare system, which is slowly dissolving services to people and increasingly serving ‘‘scale, profit and efficiency’’ instead.
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Med school’s high risk no surprise: Hernandez
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Med school’s high risk no surprise: Hernandez
An opposition MP says he is not surprised the controversial Waikato medical school project has been classed as ‘‘high risk’’ by the government’s financial advisers.
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Rise in stabbings and gunshot wounds in South
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Rise in stabbings and gunshot wounds in South
A rise in stabbing and gunshot wounds in the South has contributed to a ‘‘record’’ demand for ambulances and paramedics.
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Dementia patients' forced shift 'appalling’
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Dementia patients' forced shift 'appalling’
A desperate lack of dementia beds in Dunedin has resulted in the "appalling" situation of patients being shipped out of the city.
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Support to taper off medication
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Support to taper off medication
Going cold turkey on long-term medications — particularly antidepressants and antipsychotics — can leave some people with flu-like symptoms
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Health NZ ‘not upfront’ about wait times
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Health NZ ‘not upfront’ about wait times
Promises to be more specific about wait times for surgeries have not been kept, an Otago man says.
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12-month prescriptions not ‘one-size-fits-all’
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12-month prescriptions not ‘one-size-fits-all’
A Dunedin doctor is asking for the public to be reasonable with their GPs as a new 12-month prescription rollout is introduced next month.
Aim to foster a head for safe limits
Aim to foster a head for safe limits
Using your head during the Masters Games may save your life.
Dunedin’s new, new hospital construction begins
Dunedin’s new, new hospital construction begins
Piling machines have started drilling the foundations for a new private hospital in Dunedin.
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New tech treats medication-resistant depression
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New tech treats medication-resistant depression
After using new technology to treat about a dozen patients with medication-resistant depression under the radar for the past year, Ashburn psychiatric healthcare clinic has revealed its existence
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Request to delete patient data denied
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Request to delete patient data denied
A large Dunedin medical centre consulted lawyers and the Privacy Commission to try to take information off the beleaguered Manage My Health portal.
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Health data hack: Breach ‘complete failure’
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Health data hack: Breach ‘complete failure’
A southern health leader says the breach of information on a popular health portal was a "complete failure" by the private company running it, and exposed the most sensitive patient details.
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Aim to slow deterioration as we age
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Aim to slow deterioration as we age
Most of us have heard of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study and the Christchurch Health and Development Study. Reporter John Lewis takes a closer look at a...