Emergency department specialist Dr John Chambers, who is also a union representative, said the DHB had reconsidered weekend medical staffing.
Two senior registrars whose posts were to be discontinued in June would continue, he said.
Two 10-hour locum shifts at weekends would also remain.
Staff were pleased, but disappointed the row led to the resignation of the department's clinical leader last month, Dr Chambers said.
"Essentially, we are back to where we were a month ago, minus our clinical leader," Dr Chambers said.
At the time, he said the senior registrars provided a "disproportionate" amount of weekend cover because of their advanced training.
"Our junior colleagues who had applied for these posts can put their careers, and lives, back on track for the coming year," Dr Chambers said.
Dr Chambers said the union would still push its case for 4.5 extra senior medical staff, in part to staff a 10-bed observation unit opening in the department in August.
Dunedin Hospital "6 Hours - It Matters!" clinical champion Mike Hunter said management and doctors had reached a "compromise" on staffing to help the department cope in the "short term".
Mr Hunter said the DHB was working on a permanent solution to ED staffing throughout Otago and Southland.
"We need a comprehensive long-term stable staffing solution [for ED], and that's going to take a bit more work, and it needs to be done right across the region."
Doctors' shifts needed to be re-organised to meet times of peak demand, which would take up to a year, Mr Hunter said.
