More problems for Dunedin Hospital.

Southern DHB say lengthy delays for prostate cancer treatment have shortened the lives of at least six men.

The details were uncovered in an independent review of the hospital's crippled urology department.

The struggling hospital is also dealing with delays to general and plastic surgery, an eye department patient backlog and a shortage of intensive care unit beds.

Prostate Cancer Foundation chief executive Graeme Woodside, told Mike Hosking the department's falling considerably short of government targets.

"Men with diagnosis should have been treated within 31 days. With high suspicion should have been seem within 62 days and here we've got men who are ten months."

LISTEN ABOVE AS GRAEME WOODSIDE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING