Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO)
Te Whatu Ora must disclose whether the Waikato emergency department (ED) was short-staffed at the time a man tragically died in the waiting room, NZNO says.
A summary of an urgent clinical review was released by Te Whatu Ora this afternoon. The rapid review was ordered after reports the man, who was found unconscious in the waiting room toilet, had waited nine hours to be seen.
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter says NZNO’s respects the request for privacy from the man’s whānau.
“What is missing from the rapid review summary is whether the ED was short-staffed at the time.
“Te Whatu Ora says it will implement national guidelines for the monitoring and assessment of ED patients who are waiting for their initial medical assessment. Would this man have had his initial medical assessment sooner if there were more staff working at the time?
“New Zealanders need to know their local EDs have enough staff to provide the health care they need, when they need it.
“The death of this man was a tragedy and reduced public confidence in the health system. That’s why NZNO is reiterating its call for an independent inquiry,” Paul Goulter says.