Access to Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Effects of Ethnicity and Deprivation Status in the Waikato Region, New Zealand

Deprived communities and minority population groups experience barriers in accessing health care. We investigated the provision of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) at Waikato Hospital over three years. The ethnicity and deprivation status of patients were compared with the Waikato and total New Zealand population. The waiting time to clinic appointment and surgery and the distance travelled by patients were captured. Europeans were significantly over-represented compared with the Waikato and total New Zealand population. No Pacific patients were seen. Binomial logistic regression models controlling for ethnicity, deprivation score and distance from the hospital were not significantly different in terms of waiting times.