Correct emergency department data expected to be released today

The Minister of Health says the correct data for emergency department (ED) wait times does not show any improvement.

Te Whatu Ora yesterday apologised for publishing incorrect data showing dramatic improvements in how fast patients were being seen in 10 regions.

The data also suggested the likes of Northland had a 99.7 percent rate of seeing patients within six hours. The target is 95 percent.

Ayesha Verrall told Morning Report she knew there had not been an improvement in ED wait times.

She said the publication of the incorrect data was a mistake that was not caught, rather than an attempt to make things appear better than they are.

“There was no effort on our part to say that the picture was any rosier than it was.”

Verrall said officials yesterday told her the error occurred when the data was published in spreadsheet form because “there was an error in the lighting up of some of the cells and that led to the poor calculations that were then included”.

“The key thing here is that the data that decision-makers in the health system – whether they’re in the districts, in Te Whatu Ora, myself or the board – we had the correct data,” she said.

“The error only came about when it was published in the website.”

One of the two usual quality assurance processes had not been carried out in this case, Verrall added.

“I have told Te Whatu Ora that they need to look at their data assurance processes, they have owned this mistake and undertaken that they will, but the wider issue here is that they have merged 20 DHBs; there are multiple issues about data in the system that they need to work systematically through.”

The correct version of the data, which is expected to be published today, does not show any improvement in ED wait times, Verrall said.

She added that when her office was asked about ED wait times, she did not claim they had improved.

“I didn’t say that the rates of ED wait times were improving at Northland because I knew that wasn’t the case, but we did share the link that had the inaccurate data on it.”

Winter, workforce and waitlists

Verrall said the pressure on EDs – particularly during winter – was a challenge for the health system.

“That’s why I set it as a priority when I became minister, and why I have been making a point of visiting emergency departments.”

She said the sector faced a number of pressures coming out of the pandemic but people could expect to see signs of the health system reforms bearing fruit “across this year”.

The presence of “a Maori voice at the highest levels of health decision-making due to Te Aka Whai Ora – the Māori Health Authority”, was one positive change in the system, she said, as were the recently-announced pay increases for nurses.

Verrall said the three priorities she set when she became minister were: “Winter – in terms of the acute demand in emergency departments, workforce and waitlists.”

The pressure on EDs was not caused by one single factor, she added.

“Last year we saw Covid and influenza be a big pressure on the emergency departments, but this time of year it’s more about injuries and other acute illnesses.”

Doctors across the country had told her there seemed to be an increase in acute demand across the board.

“The other pressure on our emergency departments is the difficulty moving patients through the hospitals because of difficulty discharging them to aged residential care.”

Verrall said good progress was being made to address “decades of underfunding in health”, but it would take time.

“There are [staff] shortages, and sickness is an issue, but through good work – not magic – we have actually grown our workforce considerably.”