Published in the New Zealand Medical Journal last Friday, the research, whose lead author is Dunedin orthopaedic surgeon David Gwynne-Jones, argues that patients should seek alternative means of funding their surgery because of the severity of rationing in the public sector.
Associate Health Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga, on behalf of Health Minister Jonathan Coleman, told Labour's health spokeswoman Annette King that hip and knee surgery numbers had increased 10% in Otago and Southland in the past seven years, and orthopaedic surgery had increased 41%, "I cannot say whether I agree or disagree with that article in its entirety.
"There are some very complex data within the article and there is an ever-increasing need for more knee and hip operations.
"Southern has done very well with orthopaedic surgery, with it being up 41% in the last seven years - 41%.
"And the number of hip and knee surgeries in the Southern District Health Board region has not decreased. In fact, it has gone up 10%,'' Mr Lotu-Iiga said.
The paper analyses hip and knee patients from November 2013 to October 2014 in Otago (excluding Queenstown).
In that period, 367 hip and knee replacements were performed in the public sector (excluding ACC cases).
In that period, 608 patients were placed on the waiting list for a joint replacement.
Of those, 414 were given certainty of surgery, and 194 were shunted back to their GP.
Of those shunted back to the GP, 50 were re-referred within the 12-month period and given certainty of surgery.
Demand for joint replacements in Otago had increased 19% since 2012, but capacity had not increased significantly, the paper published last week said.
