When instituted, the South Island neurosurgery service was envisaged as having three neurosurgeons in Dunedin, but it has always struggled to achieve that.
Ahmad Taha is now the sole neurosurgeon working at Dunedin Hospital, which means every third weekend cover for him is provided by surgeons in Christchurch with patients transferred there if necessary.
A locum neurosurgeon is due to join the SDHB at the end of the month and the board hopes to hire a second locum later in the year.
In the meantime, it and the university have been looking for permanent staff, and Health Sciences pro vice-chancellor Paul Brunton said some progress had been made.
"Currently, an employment process is being worked through in regards to the second joint neurosurgical appointment between the university and Southern DHB, which has both a clinical component as well as an academic component as a senior lecturer in neurosurgery."
In 2012 the university established the Neurological Foundation professor of neurosurgery position, after a major public fundraising campaign supported by the Otago Daily Times.
The following year that role was filled by Prof Dirk De Ridder, whose role was envisaged as being partly academic and partly a Dunedin Hospital neurosurgeon.
However, in 2016 Prof De Ridder opted to focus on research, and the following year a second neurosurgeon left Dunedin, leaving Mr Taha and any available locums to provide the service.
A lack of available locums led the SDHB to draft a neurosurgery contingency plan, which has resulted in after-hours cover being provided from Christchurch as an interim measure.
The effectiveness of that contingency plan was called into question with the recent death of Balclutha mother of two Anna Milne, who was transferred from Dunedin to Christchurch Hospital on Queen's Birthday Weekend, and died from a brain aneurysm there.
Her family accept Mrs Milne may have died whether a neurosurgeon was on duty or not, but a series of delays in her treatment led them to highlight her case in the Otago Daily Times last week in the hope it would spur more timely treatment for neurosurgery patients.
Prof Brunton said despite the role of chair of neurosurgery now not being what was planned when the position was created, the university was still pleased to have a recognised international expert in neurosurgery on staff.
"Prof De Ridder's expertise as a leader internationally in the field of neurosurgery was recognised by the university just last month when he was awarded the Dean's medal at the annual Health Research Excellence Awards," Prof Brunton said.
"Professor De Ridder's commitment to research has meant he has moved almost entirely to a research-based role. He has an honorary position in Dunedin Hospital and is available to assist and provide advice as necessary."
