A woman died at Rotorua Hospital’s emergency department (ED) on August 22, after waiting three hours to be seen. The case has been referred to Coronial Services.
Rotorua emergency nurse and NZNO delegate Lyn Logan said staff were “devastated” by the death and sent their deepest condolences to the family.
“Obviously our team is devastated about what has happened and has been supported by the NZNO delegates and organisers within the hospital.”
‘We have been chronically understaffed for a long time which puts the lives of our patients at risk every day.’
Logan — who is also on NZNO’s college of emergency nurses (CENNZ) national committee — said the ED was a doctor down that day and dealing with patient “gridlock”.
“The patient did have further investigations . . . undertaken by an assessment nurse but due to short staffing of a doctor on shift that day, and the department being full, the patient wasn’t seen as per the Australasian triage timeframes,” Logan told Kaitiaki.
“Around the three-hour mark, she collapsed and was taken into the department where she later died.”
Logan said the chronic understaffing, which management had been aware of for a long time, was costing lives.
Deaths ‘inevitable’ in understaffed EDs
“We have been chronically understaffed for a long time which puts the lives of our patients at risk every day. So what has happened to our community and ED was going to be inevitable in the environment we are currently in.”
Logan — who was among CENNZ committee members who met Minister of Health Shane Reti earlier this year to raise staffing concerns — said research by the college showed most EDs were at least 20 per cent understaffed.
Rotorua Hospital ED was one of 11 identified as understaffed at least half the time in July, according to The Post.
She feared Te Whatu Ora’s recent budget constraints would only put more patients and staff at risk.
“Having units and wards with shifts below target regularly, indicates that we have increased risks for patient safety, patient outcomes and nursing workforce safety.”
Logan said being constantly understaffed not only affected staff morale, but led to more falls, medical errors and care rationing “which in turn results in what has been a tragic death in our ED”.
CENNZ chair Lauren Miller said the death was a “terribly sad outcome for all”.
Lakes District group director operations Alan Wilson has said in a statement that Te Whatu Ora offered its “sincere condolences” over the death and would be doing an internal review.
“We treat any adverse event involving a patient in our care extremely seriously,” he told RNZ.
Reti has said that Rotorua Hospital ED was a “high performing” ED and he had sought — and received — assurances from Te Whatu Ora it was safe.
CENNZ has raised concerns with Reti over the impact of new six-hour ED waiting targets, without enough staff, warning it would be too much pressure.
- This article was updated on September 13 to include understaffing data.