Staffing shortages are already putting the pressure on at Ashburton Hospital while the threat of an omicron outbreak in the region looms large.
The Canterbury DHB has confirmed that the current number of nursing vacancies in the Ashburton District is putting pressure on the DHB's acute and inpatient nursing workforce in Ashburton.
CDHB general manager rural health services, Berni Marra, said they were reshuffling staff and reviewing services to cope with the shortage.
"To minimise disruption to our Ashburton-based services, we are making full use of our talented Ashburton team, with nursing staff from various outpatient, community, day surgical and education work forces being redeployed to assist the areas currently under pressure.