There appears to have been a "remarkable" increase in bed occupancy at Lakes District Hospital, Frankton, in the past four months, Southern District Health Board chairman Joe Butterfield says.
He asked the hospitals' advisory committee meeting in Invercargill on Wednesday whether someone should look at whether there was a trend.
A graph presented to the committee showed the occupancy rate had gone from 65% in February to 80% in March.
The 80% rate was the highest for any month during the nine months of this financial year, with other months ranging from 46% to 67%. The average rate for the year to date is 61%, compared with 51% for the whole of the previous year.
Chief nursing and midwifery officer Leanne Samuel pointed out that a 10% increase would only involve one or two patients.
Southland's chief operating officer Lexie O'Shea said she could have the figures checked before yesterday's full board meeting.
The meeting was also told that chief medical officer (Southland) David Tulloch would be visiting the hospital soon to make observations and review some records.
