Health Minister Shane Reti has defended聽Whang膩rei Hospital鈥檚 emergency department, saying it never closed to new patients and remains open 24/7.
Reti鈥檚 comments come after the hospital鈥檚 ED hit 鈥淐ode Black鈥 last Friday after reaching more than 150% capacity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 vitally important New Zealanders know they can get acute care from their emergency department when they need it,鈥 he said.
鈥淥ur EDs don鈥檛 turn people away, or close.
鈥淥n Friday in聽Whang膩rei, I understand there was a period around the middle of the day when a number of presentations arrived close together.
鈥淭he experienced team there worked through those presentations.
鈥淭he Whang膩rei ED never closed to new patients and, as always, it remains open 24/7.鈥
The declaration of a 鈥渃ode black鈥 is made when the situation in a hospital is deemed critical, triggering an emergency escalation response by management.
Concerns were raised after staff told RNZ on Friday there had been more than 80 arrivals since midnight, including 21 within one hour.
A Health NZ spokesperson said it was not uncommon for the ED to go into code black, but it would continue to take patients who needed emergency care.
Reti reiterated Health NZ鈥檚 statement.
鈥淲hang膩rei Hospital is one of our high performing hospitals, particularly the ED,鈥 he said.
鈥淗NZ has told me that wait times on Thursday and Friday of last week were almost exactly the same as last year, and that reflects the well performing nature of this particular team.
鈥淲hile EDs will always be busy, especially over winter, and I have confidence the trained professionals across New Zealand are delivering very good care.
鈥淭he public can share that confidence too.鈥
Whang膩rei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the pressure on the emergency department highlighted that聽a new hospital was needed.
Cocurullo said Northlanders have needed a new hospital for the past 20 years, and it was now at a 鈥渃ritical stage鈥.
Reti said聽the rebuild聽was still 鈥渁 priority鈥.
鈥淭he planned main set of works is currently having additional design work completed but look at the Kotoku block 鈥 I opened that a few months ago.
鈥淭he Wh膩nau House, the residential house, is very close to opening as well, and the outpatient Child Health Centre is out for procurement.
鈥淪o, there鈥檚 a lot of good work already delivered and soon to happen around the Whang膩rei campus, and that hospital upgrade is a priority.鈥
In 2022, the Labour-led Government committed $759 million to stage one of the rebuild,聽due to be completed in 2031.
This will include a聽new radiology and emergency department (ED)聽plus theatres, ICU, coronary care unit, support services and a new child health centre.
The second stage, including a 158-bed ward tower and an acute assessment unit, is yet to be funded.
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