Health

More than 400 delegates will converge on Dunedin this week to attend two national health conferences involving dietitians and disease-control nurses.

The Southern District Health Board's hopes of saving about $1.2 million a year by charging for laboratory tests ordered by private specialists have been dashed by the Government.

Concern at the length of time the Southern District Health Board has been waiting for a ruling on its controversial "bridging the gap" pilot proposal was raised at this week's hospitals' advisory committee meeting.

The Southern District Health Board risked getting into a "stoush" if a rural maternity review was not handled correctly, warned two board members at yesterday's disability support and community and public health advisory committee meeting in Dunedin.

Incidence of the meningococcal disease strain which killed an Invercargill teenager is rising in proportion to the strain that many people have been vaccinated against, Otago and Southland medical officer of health Dr Derek Bell says.

Dunedin Hospital is turning to the virtual world for clues on how best to move patients faster through its emergency department.

A Dunedin man, who was not expected to live following an accident almost 50 years ago, has made an impassioned plea for the retention of neurosurgery services.