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TRIAGE INCREASES 2003-04 2007-08 Triage one 45 69 Triage two 1357 2204 Triage three 5257 8461 Triage four 8684 10792 Triage five 5404 3347 --- Nelson Hospital is at a loss to explain patient increases that have seen spikes in the emergency department, waiting lists and staff overtime. Patients in triages one to three had risen significantly since the 2003 to 2004 financial year while Mr [Keith Rusholme] said triage five's reduction could be attributed to the department increasingly referring patients back to GPs when appropriate. While the increase in people waiting more than six months to see a specialist for the first time had risen from 81 in October last year to 283 in October this year, Mr Rusholme said there were now fewer on the waiting list than in September this year. Nelson Hospital did about 20,000 first specialist assessments each year, he said.

A threat to withhold epidural pain relief for mothers giving birth has immediately affected pay negotiations between anaesthetists and the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board (NMDHB). \"Nelson service was not threatened with this action and so both hospitals will offer epidurals to women in the new year.\" [Keith Rusholme] said the finer details of the agreement would be finalised early next year. Marlborough anaesthetists' spokesman Mark Robertson did not want to comment on the developments yesterday, referring all enquiries to the board's communications co- ordinator.

Chief operating officer Keith Rusholme announced on Tuesday that the board had met Health Ministry requirements to have no patients waiting longer than six months for treatment by the end of this month. Dr Vause told the Nelson Mail on Wednesday that the former system meant patients were assessed earlier but had less certainty about when they received surgery. Common conditions such as heart disease and diabetes benefited from early intervention, she said. Mr Rusholme said the board had to ensure its elective surgery system was efficient.

The first case, in late June, saw an envelope full of different people's records intended for a GP instead sent to one of the patients; an address-label error was blamed then. Now, it has mixed up two patients' private information in the post, leading to a Brightwater woman, Bev Gibson, receiving details of a Tahunanui man's testosterone implant. In a particularly cruel twist, Mrs Gibson is mourning the death of her daughter, Glenys McLay, who, the coroner ruled little more than a fortnight ago, died in part because of a misplaced file within Nelson Hospital.

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board chief operating officer Keith Rusholme said the hospital's emergency department coped well during the strike, with the number of patients down about 30 percent on normal. In its e-mail newsletter to members, Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell called the union's decision to call a strike \"a tactical blunder, especially when the DHBs were determined to call the bluff''. National Party health spokesman Tony Ryall asked in Parliament yesterday what would happen to the 17,000 people whose care was disrupted by the strike, and how it would affect others waiting for specialist appointments and elective surgery.

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board health services general manager Keith Rusholme said some cataract and ear, nose, and throat work was already done at [Nelson]'s Rutherford Clinic so that the board could meet its targets. Between Nelson and Wairau hospitals, that would equate to about 250 more operations a year, on top of the estimated 6000 already performed, Mr Rusholme said that.

The Peterborough Petes lifted their jerseys and yelled \"Peterborough is Hockeyville.\" The crew filmed at hockey artist Murray Henderson's studio, inside Peterborough's Sports Hall of Fame, at the Peterborough Lift Lock and at Barry Haggarty's sound studio where a Hockeyville song will be recorded. Colour Photo: Clifford Skarstedt, Examiner / CBC cameraman David Newa films members of the Peterborough Petes as they lift their jerseys and yell \"Peterborough is Hockeyville\" at the Memorial Centre yesterday afternoon. CBC cameras were in the city to film footage for the CBC/Kraft Hockeyville competition.

\"Surgical beds are overflowing into medical beds and it's a cause for concern for us. No one likes cancelling elective services, especially the staff. We're really sorry when that happens. What we're trying to do is understand what's happening,'' Mr [Keith Rusholme] said.

Health officials are optimistic a recovery plan to ensure Nelson and Wairau Hospitals meet national surgical waiting list targets by June next year will be effective. Nelson Marlborough District Health board has not been meeting some of the targets, particularly one requiring it to have no patients waiting more than six months for a first specialist assessment. Mr [Keith Rusholme] told the meeting a recovery plan had been developed with the Ministry of Health to ensure the board met its targets by June 2006 and he was \"quietly confident'' the targets would be met.