According to a senior lecturer with a medical school, the reliance of Wairau Hospital on inexperienced doctors was putting careers of doctors in jeopardy apart from risking the lives of patients. The senior lecturer with these comments is none other than Buzz Burrell of the Otago University.

He also felt that the shortage of General Practitioners in the emergency ward of the Blenheim Hospital was not progress but rather a step backwards for the safety of patients. Dr. Burrell has been known to work as a General Practitioner in Havelock and Blenheim.

In defense to the comments made by Dr. Burrell, the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board has stated that the safety of patients has never been risked. The board has also announced that the staffing level of GPs in Wairau was the same as the levels in Nelson Hospital.

Dr. Burrell stated that earlier five years ago, while visiting the Marlborough facility during afterhours a GP with a minimum of five years of experience manned the hospital. However, he stated that it was very disappointing to see that a house surgeon with a minimum two years of experience could be used to provide after hours services in the hospital.