The Otago District Health Board-funded skin lesion removal service provided through some general practitioners has reached its quota of 360 procedures after only five months of this financial year.
In a newsletter to general practitioners, the board's general practice liaison officer Dr Anne Worsnop said because the cap had been reached, referrals would stop until July next year.
She acknowledged the stop-start approach to the service was unsatisfactory and work was being done to try to find more "persistent funding".
The project, which was trialled last year, involves seven General Practitioner with Special Interest (GPSI) clinics in Dunedin, Outram, Oamaru and Wanaka.
Patients paid for their initial consultations with their GP, who then referred them to the GPSI service, which was funded by the board.
The cases seen were those which were probably malignant and able to be removed under local anaesthetic.
More serious cases would still be referred to consultants.
Doctors in the GPSI service received special training.
