Northland Health still two anaesthetists down despite SOS

3.00pm - By BRIDGET CARTER

Northland Health is still minus two specialist locum anaesthetists despite sending out an SOS over the weekend.

The health board is offering to pay nearly $11,000 a week to get the cover it needs after a decision was made last week to restore 24-hour surgical services to Kaitaia Hospital for at least three months.

The decision to restore services was on the grounds that the two specialist anaesthetist locums could be recruited for enough surgery to cover all hours in Kaitaia.

Spokesman for the Northland District Health Board Luke Worth said some locum specialists had been found over the past three months and a number of the gaps would be filled.

One of the locum specialists finishes this weekend and the next was not expected to start until Wednesday.

There was no one who could work between then. "Our biggest concern is (Monday) and Tuesday," he said.

Specialist staff at Whangarei may have to cover at Kaitaia Hospital until Wednesday, which would impact on services in Whangarei.

In the last year, 53 locums worked at Kaitaia Hospital because of staff recruitment problems.

Luke Worth said people had rung up and offered their services, but many did not fit the criteria.

He said eight applicants for anaesthetist jobs at Kaitaia had been turned down, most because they did not meet the specialist conditions.

Several others who did would be available later in the year.

The board still had not found any anaesthetists interested in working at the hospital full time.

There were people on telephone stand-by over the weekend taking calls from anyone who was a specialist anaesthetist.

Anyone interested in replying to Kaitaia Hospital's advertisement can phone Mr McNeil at Northland Health on (09) 430-4100.