Pressure is mounting on the Southern District Health Board to make some major changes to the way it manages bowel cancer patients.
Local GPs have gone public with their concerns in the wake of a scathing report which revealed the region has the highest rates of bowel cancer in the country, yet one of the lowest rates of colonoscopy procedures.
Dunedin GP Dr Dave McKay was so desperate for change he published a letter in the local paper.
"There is a whole lot of people being missed out here. And we need to review that and we need to be able to honestly say we are missing some of these people," he told 1 NEWS.
A damning report by colorectal surgeon Phil Bagshaw showed the Otago-Southland region has the highest rates of bowel cancer in the country, yet one of the lowest rates of colonoscopy procedures.
He was so concerned with the Southern DHB's response to his findings he demanded a public inquiry and an urgent meeting with the Health Minister. After weeks of waiting the meeting has finally been granted.
But the Southern DHB says it has taken the report seriously, and major changes are already underway, including talking to GPs and patients who haven't been referred.
"I do take exception that we're not taking action on the report because we have put a number of actions in place immediately," said Chris Fleming, Southern DHB chief executive.
It's not enough for Bowel Cancer New Zealand, who say people's lives continue to be lost.
"It's unacceptable to Bowel Cancer New Zealand, it's unacceptable to health professionals," said Associate Professor Sarah Derrett of Bowel Cancer New Zealand.
Dr McKay said: "We need to remember what we're here for and that is for the patients."
The meeting with the health minister is on Monday, to hopefully ensure others get much better care than Natalie Reynolds.
The bowel cancer survivor was forced to exaggerate her symptoms to get a colonoscopy.
She has had four major surgeries and is waiting for her fifth.
"My life has dramatically changed from losing my whole large bowel. And that could all have been avoided if they had got my colonoscopy through more urgently," she said.
Ms Reynolds can't believe that five years on, people in Southland and Otago are still struggling to access the procedure.
"From what I can tell it's actually probably gotten worse, which is terrifying," she said.
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