Full surgery team busy

Surgical services at Kaitaia Hospital, under threat of being removed because of a lack of suitably qualified staff several years ago, are now being expanded to include patients from other parts of Northland.

The hospital now has a full complement of three surgeons, and there is no waiting list for general surgery in the Far North.

Gynaecological surgery has been introduced at Kaitaia Hospital, and new dental equipment will allow more people to have such operations.

Patients also have access to mastectomy, gall bladder and hernia operations, skin grafts and skin cancer removal, and endoscopy procedures.

Two surgeons, Dr Peter Milsom and Dr Gerry Snyman, are based in Whangarei but each works on two different days at Kaitaia, where they join local surgeon Dr John Scott.

The Northland District Health Board estimates 20 per cent of Kaitaia Hospital's total operating theatre list is patients from outside its area.

Bed numbers in the day surgery unit will increase as part of the hospital's $9.3 million redevelopment, now in design stages.