MPs Jacqui Dean, Eric Roy and Michael Woodhouse met Mr Ryall this week, updating him on the strength of support for the Dunedin service and restating their strong support for that, Mr Woodhouse said in a statement yesterday.
Mr Ryall was receptive to arguments for retention of the service at Dunedin Hospital, he said.
Mr Woodhouse said Mr Ryall also expressed the hope agreement could be reached by the boards as that would be the most enduring solution.
The boards, however, decided in May they could not agree, with the dispute then escalating to the Director-general of Health, Stephen McKernan, who was asked to appoint an arbitrator empowered to ensure the impasse was resolved urgently.
On July 19, Mr McKernan announced he would convene an expert panel to advise him on the issue.
The panel is meeting this week to finalise its terms of reference.
A spokesman for deputy prime minister and MP for Clutha Southland Bill English said last night Mr English had spoken to Mr Ryall about the neurosurgery issue, emphasising his concern that his constituents continued to have good access to these services.
Mr English was also keen for the issue to be resolved as soon as possible so it did not create more uncertainty for Otago and Southland people.
Mr McKernan said last night in an statement his office had received more than 100 emails or letters mostly from people in the Southern DHB area, expressing a range of views.
All feedback was being collated and would be passed on to the review panel for its consideration.
The views of the people living in the South Island would be taken into account.
He expressed "every confidence" in the panel's ability to provide a recommended future service configuration and the way that could be implemented.
"My main concern is to ensure that people can have confidence that a safe, effective and sustain-able service will be available when they need it."
Mr Woodhouse said correspondence to his office on the issue was now in the hundreds.
He encouraged people to continue to make their views known to the expert panel and was happy for people to write to him.
In her statement, Waitaki MP Mrs Dean said she hoped Mr McKernan would make the right call for the people of Waitaki.
"A trip to Christchurch from the Wanaka and Alexandra districts would be onerous, difficult and time-consuming," she said.
