KEY POINTS:
Bay of Plenty heart patients may be sent to Otago for surgery because the region's ageing population is placing unprecedented demands on cardiac services.
A rapidly increasing population across the Midland region - particularly in the Western Bay - has stretched resources and 117 people are waiting for cardiac surgery.
The region does not have the capacity to do any more surgery and one option being considered is to send patients to Otago for cardiac surgery in the public sector.
The alternative is to use the private sector, said Midland regional service planner Jan Barber.
"The demands are increasing. We have an ageing population and we've got primary care identifying more cardiac disease earlier because of the development of the PHOs [primary health organisations], which is great, but we just can't find the services we need," she said.
"One of the issues is there are actually people who could have preventive surgery but they don't necessarily get to the top of the list as we would like them to."
Senior managers from district health boards will meet next week to discuss the issue.
In the long term, Ms Barber wants the Midland DHBs - Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Tairawhiti, Taranaki and Waikato - to spend their share of a $200 million funding boost for elective surgery on increasing services and employing more staff in their heart units.
She said there was a possibility that more staff would be employed in Tauranga Hospital's cardiology department.
"One of the things that we are very clear about is that it is going to be very equitable. The ones on the waiting list most in need will get the surgery. It doesn't matter if they are from Waikato or Bay of Plenty," she said.
In the short term, the boards will have to look at contracting out services for cardiac surgery to keep up with demand.
Bay health board deputy chairman Graeme Horsley said the extra demands being placed on cardiac services were because the population was ageing. "As the baby boomers age, they're facing these issues and that's why the capacity is so stretched."
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
