HDC finds Health NZ Wairarapa breached Code over ICU transfer failure
The Health and Disability Commissioner found that Health NZ Wairarapa breached the Code of Rights due to failures in ICU transfer procedures. The investigation followed the death of a patient whose transfer to a larger hospital was denied due to capacity issues.
Why it matters
The case exposes systemic governance and communication failures in healthcare systems that directly impact patient safety and outcomes.
The man was in Wairarapa Hospital before being transferred to Wellington Hospital ICU.
A man presented to his GP with severe abdominal pain after collapsing at work on January 25, 2022.
After being transferred to Wairarapa Hospital, where his pain worsened over two days, an attempt to transfer him to Wellington Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit was denied as it was full.
As his condition worsened, he was transferred to ICU, where it was revealed his organs had begun to fail and he was placed in palliative care.
He died from a severe case of pancreatitis two days after going to his GP.
In December 2022, the Health and Disability Commissioner received a referral from the Coroner on behalf of the man’s daughter regarding his care at Wairarapa Hospital.
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