New surgeons provide services closer to home

Media Release

September 27, 2017

New surgeons provide services closer to home for Taranaki patients

Taranaki patients needing Vascular and Urology services can now receive specialty healthcare faster, closer to home and with continuity of medical staff, thanks to the recruitment of Mr Murray Cox, vascular surgeon, and Mr James ‘Jimmy’ Johnston, urologist. Both surgeons are a welcome addition to the wider surgical health teams.

Leigh Cleland, Taranaki DHB service director, said, “Recruiting these surgical specialities is extremely beneficial for the Taranaki community as it means patients who previously had to wait for Urology appointments with a visiting consultant, or travel to Waikato DHB for vascular surgeries will in most cases no longer have to do so.”

As well as providing greater continuity of healthcare for patients in their respective specialties, their arrival at Taranaki DHB means a greater range of services can also be provided by other existing surgical specialties.

“Mr Johnston and Mr Cox will work closely with Taranaki DHB’s general surgeons, gynaecologists and radiologists, enabling these services to provide treatment previously not always possible in New Plymouth,” added Mrs Cleland.

Taranaki DHB’s Urology services will also continue to be supported by the existing visiting consultants and the wider Midland region DHBs urology collegial group.

Mr Johnston’s arrival at Taranaki DHB follows a medical career in both New Zealand and Australia, and most recently a year at the Vancouver Prostate Centre at the University of British Columbia (Canada), where he specialised in treating urologic cancers.

Originally from New Plymouth, Mr Cox returns to Taranaki from Auckland, where he was a consultant vascular surgeon at Middlemore Hospital for nine years. His vascular surgical training was completed through Waikato and Auckland Hospitals as well as additional post-fellowship experience in Australia and the United Kingdom.

We are thrilled to have Mr Cox and Mr Johnston on board to provide these new and additional services for the people of Taranaki. Especially as it means patients can remain in New Plymouth with their family and friends to support them while receiving treatment,” said Mrs Cleland.

ENDS

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