South Island district health boards will receive copies of the neurosurgery panel's draft report tomorrow for fact checking.
The South Island neurosurgical service expert panel's draft report would then be delivered to acting Director-general of Health Andrew Bridgman in the middle of next week, National Health Board project manager David Graham said last night.
Mr Graham believed only each DHB's chief executive officer and board head would see the report.
The draft was to have been delivered to Mr Bridgman tomorrowand the DHBs to have received it earlier this week, but the draft report had taken a few extra days, Mr Graham said.
The panel was to have delivered the report on October 15, but that deadline was extended.
The panel's terms of reference say that it is to provide the South Island boards with a draft, in confidence, for checking accuracy and fact "within a period of three working days".
Under the terms of reference, the panel's report becomes public only when Mr Bridgman makes his decision on the issue.
At this stage, he has given no indication of when that might be expected, but those involved with the debate hope it will be next month.
The terms of reference give Mr Bridgman the final decision on the matter, although the legality of this has been questioned.
