Wide-ranging history raises questions
Wide-ranging history raises questions
Historian Prof Linda Bryder uses the life of National Women's Hospital as a lens to view the history of reproductive health services in this book.
Elspeth McLean
Time for some of our politicians to take a good dose of elixir
Time for some of our politicians to take a good dose of elixir
Even the punniness of sitting on a windswept tree stump in Blanket Bay knitting a baby blanket last weekend could not shake my autumn of discontent.
Push for extra help in low-decile schools
Push for extra help in low-decile schools
A push to help pupils from 250 low-decile schools get special NCEA exam assistance is being treated with caution by the Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand.
Technology solution to be tested
Technology solution to be tested
This year about 20 Wellington secondary school pupils with special learning needs will test new technology for delivering NCEA external examinations.
Told last year to go to police if fraud evidence
Told last year to go to police if fraud evidence
Audit New Zealand told the Southern District Health Board last year it should refer its long running multimillion-dollar dispute with South Link Health to police if it considered there was evidence of fraud.
Bowel screening hold-ups could recur
Bowel screening hold-ups could recur
Problems over access to colonoscopy in the Southern District Health Board could recur if staffing levels do not keep up with demand.
Some hope of progress on endoscopy revamp
Some hope of progress on endoscopy revamp
Dunedin Hospital might be a step closer to getting a revamped endoscopy suite, according to its gastroenterology clinical leader, but board management is tight-lipped about the matter.
Blood-spot project limbo
Blood-spot project limbo
No research projects involving newborn baby blood-spot cards have been approved since rules for managing the national card collection were introduced more than two years ago.
Let there be light in dark places
Let there be light in dark places
Size doesn't matter, but even in the softly lit bar, I couldn't help noticing it was bigger than mine.
Comment from SDHB on audit of colonoscopy
Comment from SDHB on audit of colonoscopy
An audit of 767 people who may have had delayed or declined access to surveillance colonoscopy in Otago between 2007 and 2011 found eight had died of bowel cancer or its complications.
Detailed history has links to Otago
Detailed history has links to Otago
This history of New Zealand's World War 1 hospital ships is much more than an account of caring for 47,000 casualties in difficult and dangerous conditions.
Celebrity is a cock-eyed concoction for our times
Celebrity is a cock-eyed concoction for our times
Hooray for the Old School Mate from Feilding for setting me straight. The great thing about a true friend is their ability to bring you abruptly down to earth when you have been inhaling too many cleaning products and thinking longingly of the Christmas trifle sherry.
Moves to blacken ex-wife's name highlight an ironic lack of focus
Moves to blacken ex-wife's name highlight an ironic lack of focus
Dear Charles, as a mega-rich chap, you are probably not used to getting advice for nothing. Trouble is, pay enough money and the people shelling out the words of wisdom are likely to tell you exactly what you want to hear.
Rich kids get most exam help
Rich kids get most exam help
Pupils from high decile schools continue to get special NCEA exam support at a far higher rate than their decile 1 counterparts, this year's figures show.
Millions remain in dispute
Millions remain in dispute
The Auditor-general's office expects the Southern District Health Board to resolve its long-running multimillion-dollar wrangle with South Link Health ''without further delay''.
SDHB internal report is of 'public interest'
SDHB internal report is of 'public interest'
The Southern District Health Board should not have refused to release the report which sparked an urgent review of some breast cancer diagnoses last year, ombudsman Ron Paterson says.
Healthy debate on boards would be welcome
Healthy debate on boards would be welcome
Local body election year is a good time for greater political scrutiny and debate about the merits and shortcomings of elected membership of district health boards.
Otago, Canty pupils ahead in SAC support
Otago, Canty pupils ahead in SAC support
Pupils in Otago and Canterbury are more likely to get special support in NCEA exams than those in other areas, a new report says.
Blood spot complaint not upheld
Blood spot complaint not upheld
The Ombudsman has not upheld a complaint about consultation on the future management of two million newborn baby blood spot cards, but says more could have been done to keep the public informed.
Colonoscopy services concerns remain
Colonoscopy services concerns remain
A Central Otago woman who complained about the failure of Southern District Health Board doctors to find her bowel cancer says improvements to colonoscopy services have been too slow.