Non-urgent radiation oncology patients are waiting twice as long as is preferable for scans, as the department continues to have issues meeting demand.
In June last year, the service experienced a major blow-out in cases, and patients had to wait more than double the Ministry of Health guidelines for treatment.
While wait times were not as long as the 8-12 week delays experienced at that time, they were still a concern, a report by specialist services executive director Patrick Ng said.
"Urgent patients are being seen within clinically indicated timeframes but less urgent cases which would normally be indicated at four weeks are being seen at closer to 6-7 weeks.
"A letter is being constructed which outlines that the wait is longer than is ideal."
The report, to be considered by the Southern District Health Board’s hospital advisory committee on Monday, said additional capacity was being added to radiation oncology to tackle wait lists.
Canterbury DHB radiation oncologists had been approached to run extra clinics for southern patients, as they had in the past, but were unable to assist.
"We have also sought to utilise an available RMO who is assisting us with follow-ups."
The service was also exploring an idea from clinicians that GPs be asked to handle "appropriate follow-ups" to free up radiation oncologists for more specialist appointments.
Waiting lists are being driven up by increasing numbers of cancer patients, but the situation in Southern has been exacerbated by long-serving staff taking back-to-back sabbaticals.
Only one staffer remained to go on sabbatical, and a fixed-term radiation oncologist was covering during all absences.
"We have now confirmed the hire of the fifth radiation oncologist and we are actively recruiting into the sixth radiation oncologist role that has been agreed to, and appear to have good prospective candidates," Mr Ng said.
"The completion of this hire will add a good level of capacity into the service and should allow us to be able to sustainably manage first specialist appointments and other volumes in the service."
