Call extends agonising wait for surgery

By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter

Bryan Pennell was on a high - he was about to have bladder surgery at Auckland City Hospital.

He had even burned some of his urine bags, expecting their obsolescence after the operation, planned for last week. But the hospital rang and said "there's no beds so don't come".

"If everybody was honest about it, they haven't got enough beds," the 58-year-old sickness beneficiary, of Ramarama, south of Auckland, said.

He went on the elective surgery waiting list in October, but in December, "my waterworks shut right down".

His GP sent him to the hospital, where staff inserted a tube to drain urine into a bag, which he disliked. "They're dirty things. You've got to wash them out," he said.

"I was all up high and happy. Next minute that goes and it drops you down a bit."

Hospital general manager Nigel Murray said he regretted the postponement of Mr Pennell's operation, which would be re-booked as soon as possible. He blamed it mainly on a surge of acute patients, but also reiterated the management line - disputed by some senior doctors - that the hospital has enough beds.

Auckland District Health Board hospitals are losing about 70 beds during the progressive move to the new hospital. Managers argue the loss is balanced by greater efficiency, more short-stay surgery and shedding some services to other boards.

Dr Murray said the hospital had postponed about 15 cases of elective surgery this year, including four yesterday, when vacancies and sickness left it 13 nurses short.

"From time to time we will postpone elective patients because of sudden peaks."