Te Whatu Ora Southern Planned Care district manager Nigel Copson and Women’s Health service manager Rebecca Adam said everyone involved had felt a sense of achievement that a solution was found.
Waitlists went from 907 in July 2022 to 250 in October 2023.
The new model triaged the waitlist into three work streams where patients would be seen by either consultants, specialised GPs or clinical nurse specialists.
One additional consultant and two clinical nurse specialists alongside two upskilled GPs had been engaged to address the bulging waiting list.
Now the referral waitlist had been addressed, staff would be turning their attention to improving the treatment pathway and operating theatre access.
Ms Adam said it had been inspiring to see everyone come together.
"We still have work to do but we feel a sense of success knowing other services can also benefit from this model of care."
Obstetrics and Gynaecology Service Clinical Director Dr Jim Faherty said women were never excluded from being referred to the service.
"We’re still not perfect but we’re catching up and have been able to hire another consultant."
