Defence of the District Health Board ... as Christchurch Hospital is forced to defer major surgeries

The facility is overloaded with patients - operating at 112 percent - and has major covid staff shortages, with more than 170 DHB workers off sick.

It's prompted calls for more investment into acute patients.

City Councillor and Health Board member Aaron Keown says the Government should have invested more in health infrastructure when the pandemic began.

He says at that point they had no idea how long the pandemic would last, so resources should have gone there.