Surgery delays affect fund

Press, 3 May 1984, Page 1

Surgery delays affect fund

Heart surgery delays in Dunedin are putting an extra strain on a special Christchurch fund to help relatives accompany patients on the out-of-town trip. The Cardiac Companions give up to $2OOO each year to needy cases where a family member is unable to meet travel and accommodation costs for accompanying the patient to Dunedin,

i the nearest cardiac surgery i unit. 1 The group’s chairman, Mr ’ Paul Millthorpe, said it usu--1 ally involved a hospital stay 1 of about 16 days. But there had been several occasions in the last six months where ’ surgery was delayed, forcing the relative to return and make a second . trip. “Those are the cases that , are starting to give us some

concern,” he said. In one case a daughter spent two weeks in Dunedin with her parent whose surgery was delayed, then had to return later for another stay of two to three weeks. No-one in that particular family had been earning an income. Mr Millthorpe said Cardiac Companions would discuss the matter later this month at a regular meeting with the Canterbury Hos-

pital Board. It accepted that some surgery would be delayed for medical reasons, but all heart units in New Zealand had long waiting lists. If the problem was going to continue and no solution could be worked out with the Otago Hospital Board, Cardiac Companions would have to seek more money from the National Heart Foundation and other fund contributors.