Patients due for surgery at Blenheim's Wairau Hospital face delays or a trip to Nelson - after the sudden departure of a locum surgeon following an incident involving a patient.
Nelson Marlborough District Health Board said the surgeon left by "mutual agreement" following a general surgery incident but refused to reveal any further details at this stage.
The board's chief medical adviser Andre Nel told the Marlborough Express that an investigation was underway.
He said the hospital's general surgery service was temporarily reduced until the locum's position was filled.
A general surgeon currently on leave was due back in about three weeks, and this would bring some relief to the situation, Dr Nel said.
In the meantime, arrangements were being made for patients requiring urgent surgery to be seen in Nelson and patients were being rebooked as soon as possible.
It was not possible to say how many people would be affected by the reduction, as there was no way of knowing when the staffing problem would be resolved.
