Dunedin Hospital is considering whether to extend its usual Christmas shut-down period for elective surgery this year.
Chief operating officer Vivian Blake said it was likely the elective surgery theatres would be closed longer than usual, but staff were "just in the process of evaluating that".
The hospital had completed more elective surgery than planned, a situation which was an improvement on the position at the same time last year, despite the industrial action by radiographers this year.
A year ago the hospital had been short of about five anaesthetists but now had a "good complement of staff" which had made a considerable difference.
The elective work in operating theatres winds down in the week before Christmas, and the only operations undertaken are those which do not require a long length of stay for patients.
The aim was to have as few patients as possible in hospital by Christmas Eve, she said.
It usually took about three weeks to build up again gradually.
The Christmas period was the time when maintenance of theatres could be carried out.
