Health NZ says it is recruiting staff to cope with an increase in gastro referrals, but some patients are still waiting months. File photo. Photo: A. BENOIST / BSIP
- Gastro departments at public hospitals under pressure
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- Health NZ on recruitment drive
People referred to public health system gastro departments are waiting months for an appointment, even when they have symptoms that could be a sign of bowel cancer or other disease.
RNZ has reported the stories of patients throughout New Zealand waiting for months or even years for crucial surveillance colonoscopies.
More people have now come forward to talk about experiencing worrying symptoms while waiting for a colonoscopy or gastroscopy, and hearing nothing about when they will be seen.
Health NZ says it is doing staff recruitment drives to cope with an increase in gastro referrals.
That is not easing the worry for patients such as Hamilton woman Myra Williamson, who in November noticed concerning symptoms she thought needed checking.
"My dad had bowel cancer and my mum died of pancreatic cancer, so I was really worried about something like that for me as well," she said.
She was quickly given a date for a colonoscopy in a private clinic, but that fell through when her health insurer decided a previous report to the doctor about blood in her stools amounted to a pre-existing condition, even though there was no diagnosis.
So her doctor referred Williamson to the public system, and since that was accepted on 14 December the 50-year-old has not heard a thing from Waikato Hospital.
"It's alarming enough when your doctor tells you you need a colonoscopy, but it's super alarming when you can't actually get one and know what the reason is for your symptoms.
"That adds to the general stress of life. Every time you go to the bathroom it's: 'Oh my god, I don't know what is happening inside my body'."
Williamson was trying to adjust her diet and to exercise more, but her symptoms had continued.
"The fact remains that whenever I see blood on the [toilet] tissue I get extremely stressed out, and that happens, probably, once a week.
"I just think, 'Oh well, it's something. I'm not imagining it.' Whether it's significant or not it's got to be addressed."
At the moment, that was not happening.
"I'm a single parent, so I kind of worry doubly about what would happen if this is bowel cancer. It's been left so long without treatment."
Wellington woman Emily, whose surname RNZ has agreed not to use, was last year referred to Wellington Hospital for a gastroscopy - an examination via the throat - after also experiencing symptoms.
"In October I got a letter saying that I'm on the waiting list," she said.
"It says I've been prioritised as semi urgent, whatever that means, but it doesn't sound good.
"It said waiting times depend on the procedure. 'We aim to offer you an appointment within six weeks, but because of the resource pressures your appointment may be delayed by several weeks beyond this target.'"
Emily has heard nothing, so recently followed up with the hospital.
"They said at the moment they are booking people who were referred in August.
"That means if I'm a couple of months behind that and I haven't received anything yet it's more likely to be at least April before I get to have the procedure done."
The 66-year-old retiree had thought about investigating private options, but was not sure of the cost or if that would mean she would lose her spot on the public waiting list if a follow up was required.
In the meantime, the wait and the symptoms continued.
"It does impact the quality of life and it affects my sleep, and it's concerning, obviously, because I don't know what's going on."
RNZ reported last week from a public meeting in Palmerston North, organised by Patient Voice Aotearoa chairperson Malcolm Mulholland, after surveillance colonoscopies were paused for more than 850 people in the MidCentral region.
Since then RNZ has been contacted by people throughout New Zealand about delays with their local gastroenterology departments.
That was no surprise for Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton.
"There are a couple of services that have more than 50 percent vacancy rates in their gastro departments, which is absolutely going to have a negative impact on wait times."
Health system targets would not be met if staffing problems were not sorted, including extra allowances for hard-to-staff areas and regions, Dalton said.
Association members around the country were struggling to see patients within reasonable timeframes, causing stress to patients and clinicians.
"Palmerston North caught people's attention because they actively sent letters out to people explaining that they'd paused colonoscopies.
"Obviously, that's an incredibly distressing thing for people to receive, but even more distressing is to have no information at all about how long you might have to wait."
Health NZ chief medical officer Helen Stokes-Lampard said there had been an increase in referrals to gastro services in recent years, which had contributed to longer wait times than the organisation would like.
"Health NZ has a number of recruitment drives and initiatives under way to make sure we can address this," she said.
"Some of these initiatives include provision of additional weekly and weekend clinic sessions, some private outsourcing and locum gastroenterologist support.
"Gastroenterology services at Waikato Hospital are fully recruited and we have recently been successful recruiting a new gastroenterologist into Wellington Hospital, which means there are no vacancies in the team."
Stokes-Lampard said several hospitals throughout New Zealand were "actively recruiting" for staff for their gastro departments.
Among the areas RNZ inquired about, the Lakes District, covering Rotorua, had one senior doctor role in its gastro department and two vacancies. And the old Southern District Health Board area, covering the lower South Island, had five senior doctors and three vacancies.
Health NZ was recruiting for the vacant roles, Stokes-Lampard said.
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