Wanganui residents need to start coming to Whanganui Hospital for surgery if "healthy staffing levels" are to be maintained, chief executive Julie Patterson says.
The latest target results show Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) achieved 105 per cent against the 100 per cent target for improved access to elective surgery, but local residents heading out of town for surgeries were not helping.
"It's fair to say that the good access that Wanganui residents have to the WDHB's surgical services is due in part to our health staffing levels," Mrs Patterson said.
"However, if the WDHB is to maintain its current staffing levels, those needing surgery do need to look to Whanganui as their hospital of choice for their surgical care. Unfortunately, people sometimes look elsewhere due to a perception that access to care in our hospital is limited when, comparatively speaking, this is not the case."
WDHB ranked 12th out of New Zealand's 20 district health boards for improved access to elective surgery - Northland ranking first with 131 per cent.