Health NZ Spends $38,000 to Transport Cancer Patients for Surgery

Health NZ has allocated approximately $38,000 to transport patients from the North Island to Christchurch for complex gynaecological cancer surgeries. This expenditure follows the collapse of the specialist service in Wellington, which has forced patients to travel significant distances for essential treatment.

The crisis began in November 2024, when the last remaining gynae oncologist in Wellington resigned, leaving many patients with no local options. Between January 1 and September 30, Health NZ reported spending $26,000 on flights for 59 women from the Wellington region, alongside $12,000 to bring in a specialist from Australia to assist the overwhelmed Christchurch facility.

Health NZ’s travel costs included $23,624 for patients from the Wellington area, $2,199 for those in Wairarapa, and $407 for women from the Lakes district. However, data from the MidCentral and Hawke’s Bay districts remains unreported. When questioned about whether accommodation costs were included, Health NZ did not respond. The agency’s National Travel Assistance scheme covers accommodation at a rate of $140 per night, which can be burdensome given that stays for complex gynaecological surgeries often exceed a week.

One patient, Daryl Evans, traveled to Christchurch for stage four ovarian cancer surgery. Health NZ covered her flights and accommodation for ten nights for both her and her support person. While she appreciated the support, Evans expressed concern that funds would be better spent on restoring the Wellington service. “That was a godsend that they did pay for it, but mentally, physically and financially – it was just a huge, taxing cost,” she remarked. Evans emphasized the need for investment in local surgical services to prevent other women from facing similar hardships.

In addition to patient transport, Health NZ has been sending surgeons from Christchurch to Wellington. Monthly, a gynae oncologist travels north to perform surgeries for lower complexity cancers, such as cervical, uterine, and vulval cancers, which require less after-care. The surgery backlog in Christchurch has placed significant strain on the remaining two gynaecological cancer surgeons, as noted by Dr. Peter Sykes, who indicated that they were effectively managing the workload of six people due to staffing shortages.

To alleviate this pressure, Health NZ arranged for an Australian surgeon to assist from May to October 2025, incurring costs of $12,000 for flights, accommodation, and car hire. Fortunately, Christchurch has since recruited an additional surgeon, with another expected to begin in January 2025.

The situation in Wellington has raised serious concerns. The president of the Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Gillian Gibson, described the capital’s lack of a specialist service as “quite shocking.” She emphasized the unsustainability of the situation, adding, “These are highly complex cancer operations. They’re hard work. And women deserve safe and timely care closer to home.”

A 2023 submission to the Health Ministry identified the gynaecological cancer specialist service as “critically understaffed and highly vulnerable.” The country faces challenges retaining trained specialists, with only one of the past eight gynae oncology trainees remaining in New Zealand.

While Health NZ is considering long-term solutions, there are currently no plans to recruit new specialists for Wellington in the next four to five years. Until then, women will continue to be referred to facilities in Christchurch or Auckland for surgery.

For Evans, the challenges of the past year have led her to embrace life more fully. Spending her holiday in Northland, she enjoys activities like reading, swimming, boating, and fishing. Reflecting on her journey, she stated, “Since this has all happened, everyone says, do what you love and do what you want. And that’s what I want to do, so that’s what I’m doing.”