Analysis of Dunedin Hospital's recent high Caesarean section rate showed there were strong clinical reasons for using the surgical procedure, midwifery director Jenny Humphries says.
Staying times at Dunedin Hospital's emergency department will be 12% improved by the end of next month, a report to go to the Southern District Health Board says.
Retaining Dunedin as the sole provider of the radiation treatment radiosurgery would strengthen the South Island neurosurgery service, South Island neurosurgical service implementation manager Joy Farley says.
Applications have been received for both recently advertised Dunedin-based neurosurgeon positions, but nobody is saying how many.
The hospital has a new locum gastroenterologist due to start in July, but it already has about 200 patients with colorectal disease symptoms waiting for investigation.
Health Minister Tony Ryall has given approval for the Southern District Health Board to buy a new multimillion-dollar linear accelerator for Dunedin Hospital.
Senior and junior Dunedin Hospital emergency department doctors are worried that staffing levels are unsafe.
Applications close this month for two of the three proposed Dunedin-based neurosurgeon positions in the South Island Neurosurgery Service.
Dunedin Hospital's emergency department clinical leader, Dr Tim Kerruish, does not share the confidence of Southern District Health Board chairman Joe Butterfield that staying times for patients will have improved by the end of June.
Suggestions Southern District Health Board managers waited until the "political blowtorch was pointed at them" to address long stays at Dunedin Hospital's emergency department have been countered by Vivian Blake.
Four possible measures to speed up the throughput of patients at Dunedin Hospital's emergency department have been identified in early results of computer modelling.
Dunedin Hospital buildings' earthquake resistance ranged from good to excellent when a structural report was last done in 1998, Southern District Health Board chief operating officer (Otago) Vivian Blake says.
Labour MP Trevor Mallard says he is "embarrassed" about the cycling injury that has landed him in Dunedin Hospital.
There is growing pressure to introduce electronic prescribing in hospitals throughout the country after last year's successful pilot scheme at Dunedin Hospital, Dr Andrew Bowers says.
Demand for Dunedin Hospital orthopaedic appointments means referrals for routine conditions are no longer being accepted.
The length of stays in Dunedin Hospital's emergency department is affected "from time to time" by the number of students turning up with alcohol-related conditions, Southern District Health Board chief operations officer Vivian Blake says.
The long-awaited announcement of the final approval for the $24.38 million redevelopment of Wakari and Dunedin Hospitals could not have come at a better time, Southern District Health Board chief operating officer (Otago) Vivian Blake says.
People have been asked to stay away from Dunedin Hospital's emergency department unless absolutely necessary as South Island hospitals prepare for the possibility of taking in earthquake victims.
About 50 conventional and complementary health practitioners in Otago feature on a new website to be officially launched next month.
Hospital admissions for toxic food poisoning in New Zealand are very uncommon, Southern medical officer of health Dr Marion Poore says.
