"The number of referrals we are receiving is greater than the number of clinical appointments we can make available. Mr Van Kempen, a tractor driver from Kurow who works in Oamaru, said that was not good enough. Or just carry on and wait till I can’t walk any more. "Altogether the system can’t get much worse for me. Have you been affected by excessive surgery wait times?

Source: Otago Daily Times January 02, 2026 00:46 UTC