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An American surgeon working in Greymouth has resigned, saying the people of the West Coast deserve better than a hospital essentially run by GPs.
The West Coast and Canterbury district health boards are reorganising the medical workforce at the Coast's main hospital, basing some specialists in Christchurch and using rural generalists to share more of the workload.
Surgeon Mindy Young-Reeves says the generalists skills are "nowhere near" the level of specialists.
Lois Williams is a Local Democracy Reporter at the Greymouth Star and has been covering the story.