People living with a chronic condition that causes a limb to swell are choosing to go to Australia for surgical treatment that isn't offered here, and paying out of their own pocket.
Many are cancer survivors who have lost lymph nodes during treatment, only to be saddled with lymphoedema, which can be disabling.
The specialist treatment in Sydney costs tens of thousands of dollars but Te Whatu Ora hasn't approved any such request for funding for four years.
Amy Williams has the story.
