Elective surgery and outpatient clinics in Dunedin and Invercargill will be affected by the junior doctors' strike, the Southern District Health Board has confirmed.
The board does not yet know how many patients and procedures will be affected by the 48-hour strike from October 18 to October 20.
Interim chief executive Chris Fleming said he would have a better idea in a few days about the impact.
''Our priority is on ensuring the safety of our patients, and we appreciate that this news may be unsettling to those with procedures scheduled for this time.
''For patients scheduled for either elective surgery or an outpatient clinic, you will be contacted directly if your appointment needs to be postponed,'' Mr Fleming said in a statement.
Junior doctors, who are also known as resident medical officers, range in experience from first-year qualified doctors to those with more than 12 years' experience.
The union, the New Zealand Resident Doctors' Association, ran a campaign centred on safe working hours during protracted pay negotiations with DHBs.
Members voted to strike after rejecting offers from the DHBs that the NZRDA said did not address concerns about 12-day rosters.
