Dunedin Hospital women's health service has stopped accepting non-urgent gynaecology referrals because of a staff vacancy.
The service will prioritise obstetric work and urgent or acute gynaecology referrals.
Southern District Health Board women's health general manager Pip Stewart said a gynaecologist-obstetrician left the hospital in July, causing the difficulty.
A locum was arriving next month to help. The department would then take until February to clear the backlog, and start accepting routine referrals.
In the meantime, referrals that would not be accepted included fertility investigation, contraception advice and incontinence.
Ms Stewart hoped a permanent appointment might be made next May.
A GP newsletter distributed this week advised the situation would persist until the middle of next year, but that was not the case, she said.
