Ross Giblin/Stuff
The Ministry of Health’s briefing to Andrew Little as the incoming minister was released on Tuesday and made for stark reading and highlighted the fact the country’s health system was overstretched, underfunded and inequitable.
Health Minister Andrew Little says ongoing pressures on the country’s hospital emergency departments and persistent problems with access to primary health care highlight the need for major reform of the health system. His comments come after the College of Emergency Nurses NZ said that staffing shortages, overcrowding and poor access to primary care were to blame for this week s announcement that Middlemore Hospital s emergency department had reached near capacity levels.
“East Auckland is now the only part of Auckland without a 24/7 primary health care service despite having a population of 130,000 people and growing quickly,” they said on Thursday. They urged the community to sign the petition, which would be presented to Counties Manukau DHB s chief executive and board. However, East Care Group chief executive Gordon Armstrong told
Stuff even if given funding immediately, it will not be able to find doctors in time to stay open. The decision to close overnight had been made in the face of mounting pressure, staff burnout and “spiralling clinical risk”, Armstrong earlier said. “We can no longer provide a safe and high-quality overnight operation.”
Stephen Forbes/Stuff
Counties Manukau Health announced this week that Middlemore Hospital s emergency department had reached near capacity levels due to patients seeking treatment for non-urgent conditions.
Staff shortages, overcrowding and poor access to GPs is to blame for a plea by Middlemore Hospital for non-urgent patients to avoid its emergency department, a nurses college says. And while the pressure-cooker situation at the south Auckland hospital is a major concern, the College of Emergency Nurses NZ chair Sandy Richardson said it’s part of a bigger, nationwide problem. The group is part of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) union.
Staff shortages, overcrowding and poor access to GPs are being blamed for a plea by Middlemore Hospital for non-urgent patients to avoid its emergency department, a nurses college says.
Middlemore Hospital says its emergency department is only for people with life-threatening emergencies.
Photo: LDR
While the pressure-cooker situation at the South Auckland hospital is a major concern, the College of Emergency Nurses NZ chair Sandy Richardson said it s part of a bigger, nationwide problem. The group is part of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) union.
In a statement released on Monday the clinical director of Middlemore Hospital s emergency department (ED), Dr Vanessa Thornton, asked for the Counties Manukau community s assistance as the hospital s department was under pressure.
+Undoctored CM Health will continue to provide community the right care, at the right place, at the right time
Media release from the Counties Manukau DHB
Tuesday 15 December 2020, 02:44 PM
1 minute to Read
People needing emergency medical care in the eastern part of Counties Manukau will continue to get the care they need, when they need it.
Dr Vanessa Thornton, Clinical Director of Middlemore Hospital’s Emergency Department, says that since 2017/18 CM Health has doubled its investment in afterhours care.
“This consists of funding eight afterhours clinics in the region, four of which are funded until 11pm, including East Care in Botany,” says Dr Thornton.