Surgery postponed in Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay Hospital is postponing elective surgery as it copes with an influx of patients with serious illnesses.

The hospital is full to capacity following the influx of people with a range of conditions, including respiratory and cardiac problems, chief operating officer Ray Lind said today.

Ten elective surgery procedures had been postponed so far this week.

Mr Lind urged people to take early action when they or their children became sick so they could avoid being admitted to hospital.

"There are some pretty nasty viruses doing the rounds at the moment and we know many children, in particular, are being hit hard with influenza," Mr Lind said.

"It's vitally important to seek medical attention early, from your GP or medical centre. In many cases a trip to the doctor for expert advice and treatment can stop people getting so sick that they have to be admitted to hospital.

"At the moment we are seeing people who require lengthy hospital stays for medical conditions that could have been managed by a GP if they were consulted early on."

Problems were being compounded by the fact many hospital staff were also affected by illness, either being unwell themselves or having sick children.

- NZPA