A Central Otago hospital is warning it may have to cut back on beds if the Southern District Health Board (DHB) goes ahead with a $500,000 funding cut.
Dunstan Hospital operating company chair Russell McGeorge said the Southern DHB had signalled it would cut 5 percent of its funding for the next financial year, despite a boom in Clyde's population and a surge in the demand for its services.
The company had to have negotiations yet but cuts to services could include the number of beds, or such changing such things as out-patient services.
"If we were to lower the number of beds in the ward, for example, yes, jobs certainly would be reduced because the same levels of staffing would not be required but we hope that doesn't happen," he said.
