The doctors’ union says the number of accepted referrals has declined because of a lack of staff in specialty areas.
The woman, who declined to be named, said her GP had applied for a referral for an X-ray on her shoulder (twice) and her ankle (once) since December, only to be declined each time.
‘‘It’s hugely frustrating, but it’s not the clinicians’ fault.
‘‘They told me I could go private, the public system is stretched . . . I said, well, I can’t afford to do that, so I just have to sit and suffer.’’
As her condition became more complicated and started to affect her gait, she approached her GP again, who ‘‘bashed something out’’ and just recently managed to secure an accepted referral.
‘‘I’m really frustrated, because those running the system are obviously targeting areas where they think they can save money, and push people into private.’’
The woman’s story is similar to many within the health system, as tens of thousands of patients in the South have had their medical referrals declined in the past three years, new data has revealed.
Figures obtained under the Official Information Act show that in the Southern district alone, there were more than 19,000 declined referrals a year from 2023 to 2025.
The most commonly declined referrals for treatment were for paediatric medicine, with gastroenterology not far behind.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists chief executive Sarah Dalton said according to their own data, which also included referral rates, the number of accepted referrals had declined.
‘‘Trying to get the full picture is difficult because there’s a sense that there are gaps in the data — but it’s clear that capacity issues are a key reason for the reduced number of accepted referrals. ’’
Ms Dalton said the decreased number of accepted referrals largely came down to staffing in specialty areas, and Health New Zealand needed to address this.
HNZ government services manager Matthew McLay said there were a variety of reasons for referrals being declined, including conditions considered more appropriate for management in primary care, not meeting clinical thresholds for specialist review, and capacity issues.
‘‘All referrals are triaged and prioritised according to urgency.
‘‘When referrals are declined or require further information, referrers are sent a letter explaining the reason.’’
HNZ Southern group director of operations Craig Ashton said staff were committed to the best health outcomes possible for patients.
‘‘We would like to reassure the community that patients who meet clinical criteria for specialist care will be seen.’’
‘‘Patients are doing the right thing: seeing their GP and being referred for care, but many are being stopped before they can even be diagnosed.
‘‘Basic imaging like X-rays, ultrasounds and CT scans are the first step in diagnosing serious conditions including cancer, heart disease and internal injuries — if patients cannot access these tests, diagnoses are delayed, conditions worsen and pressure shifts on to emergency departments.’’
Ms Leary said this was an issue of access.
‘‘What worries me as a local MP is that people who are going to the doctor because they are concerned about something are having X-ray referrals from qualified medical people declined.
‘‘And they could fall through the cracks when it comes to diagnosis of serious issues.’’
Ms Leary said she felt the increasing number of declined referrals appeared ‘‘to be another insidious way that the government is making cuts at the front line without letting people know’’.
This was ‘‘compromising people’s health’’.
‘‘Everyone in New Zealand should be able to get timely access to healthcare and to X-rays and other screening mechanisms when they need them.’’
The largest categories of declined imaging were ultrasound and X-ray — Ms Leary said these were ‘‘basic frontline diagnostics’’.
‘‘As demand for care continues to grow, the system is responding by tightening access rather than expanding capacity.’’
Ms Leary said several local doctors had told her ‘‘very directly’’ that the X-rays were now being triaged and that previously they did not seem to be.
‘‘A growing number of patients are not getting through the system at all.
‘‘The system is not just under pressure — it is increasingly managing that pressure by turning patients away.’’
