A major shortage of public hospital dermatologists in Christchurch has raised concerns skin patients could miss out on life saving treatment.

Letters sent to the Canterbury District Health Board, obtained by ZB’s Canterbury Mornings with Chris Lynch, highlight concerns over staff resigning from the department.

It’s understood two dermatologists have resigned, another is leaving the department this week, and another specialist is leaving in June, meaning the Canterbury and West Coast region will have no public health specialists in the field.

The dermatology department looks after patients with dangerous or rare medical skin conditions including organ transplant recipients and immune suppression patients.

New Zealand Dermatological Society President Dr Paul Jarrett says there's a chronic under investment in publicly funded dermatology across the country.

He says the Christchurch resignations are a symptom of the stress under which the senior medical officers are working.

Dr Jarrett says the New Zealand public cannot be reassured that if their skin fails that there would be a suitably qualified specialist within a reasonable distance to supervise their care.

He says there is approximately, overall, one dermatologist working in public per 270,000 of the national population of New Zealand which he says is a "third world statistic in my view."

Dr Jarrett says Christchurch, along with other DHBs, deserves a good publicly funded dermatology service.

A Canterbury District Health Board spokeswoman says the DHB has no plans to withdraw the service.

She says current staffing shortfalls are being addressed via an “active recruitment drive” and they’re hoping to appoint a consultant to work alongside a medical officer and nurse specialist.

The spokeswoman says “in the meantime, the department is offering a restricted service to patients.”

She says “nationwide, there is a shortage of trainee dermatologists and Health Workforce NZ is looking at how to address this.”