Health Minister Tony Ryall hopes a decision on neurosurgery services in the South can be made within two months.
He told about 230 people attending the New Zealand Nurses Organisation enrolled nurses conference in Dunedin yesterday he was interested in trying to get the best possible deal for Dunedin.
In reply to a question from the floor about community consultation on the issue, he said he did not think the Government would be holding public hearings, but people could write to the Director-general of Health, Stephen McKernan.
The question came from Dunedin enrolled nurse Robyn Moody, who told Mr Ryall that when her daughter had required neurosurgery at Christchurch, she received some assistance to accompany her, but other members of the family could not afford to go.
"Often that support person needs a support person," she said.
Mr Ryall said there had to be a "patient-centred approach" and the service had to be safe.
"The last thing patients want is one week Dunedin is up and running and next week it's not. One week, you're going to Christchurch; the next week, you're not. We need something that will last."
Last week, Mr McKernan announced he would convene a panel of experts to advise him on the configuration of the South Island service.
Canterbury District Health Board wants all six neurosurgeons for the regional service living in Christchurch and all surgery performed there, while Southern wants two neurosurgeons in Dunedin.
National list MP from Dunedin, Michael Woodhouse, who has previously spoken in support of the retention of neurosurgery services in the city, said yesterday he was receiving many submissions, mostly from people with direct experience of going to Christchurch.
It was important to realise some neurosurgery patients had always gone to Christchurch.
"We have never had the situation where we provided every type of neurosurgery service in Dunedin."
Speaking later, Mrs Moody said her daughter Zara (16) had a neurological condition for which she had undergone about 13 operations.
Last June, she had to undergo surgery in Christchurch because no neurosurgeon was available to do the required surgery in Dunedin.
The family could not afford the trip for Zara's twin sister, Isabella, or her father, Ralph Moody.
As well as being expensive, it was lonely, she said recalling waiting after her daughter had gone into the operating theatre.
"I was standing in a hallway, knowing no-one, bawling my eyes out."
She considered if the only service available was in Christchurch the situation would be even worse for people further south.
• Southern board chief executive Brian Rousseau, who advised Mr McKernan in May that he had two neurosurgeon recruits on stand-by, declined to answer a question on whether senior clinicians had urged him to appoint the neurosurgeons because of ongoing safety concerns, regardless of the political situation regarding the service configuration.
(Mr McKernan has requested that Mr Rousseau not make permanent appointments at this stage, although he does not have any statutory power to stop Mr Rousseau so doing.)
