Wellington Hospital called a ‘s***show’ as patients forced to wait 24 hours
Wellington Regional Hospital is facing severe winter pressure, resulting in emergency department wait times exceeding 24 hours. Health officials acknowledge the strain, while nursing staff express concerns regarding patient safety and systemic capacity issues.
Why it matters
The report highlights critical infrastructure and staffing failures in public healthcare systems during peak seasonal demand.
Wellington Regional Hospital, and especially its Emergency Department, is under extreme winter pressure at the moment.
Patients presenting at Wellington Hospital’s Emergency Department have faced waiting times of more than 24 hours to be seen this month.
An ED nurse said that on a recent Monday night shift one man fell asleep and hit his head while waiting 12 hours to be seen.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said the situation in Wellington ED was unacceptable, as it continued to be one of the lowest performing in the country.
But Health New Zealand said the hospital was under extreme winter pressure, and very long waits occurred for complex circumstances and weren’t the experience of most patients.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) delegate said she feared that speaking out would result in repercussions. RNZ agreed not to name her for this reason.
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