Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Whangārei Hospital’s emergency department is in “Code Black” – meaning it is unable to accept more patients – after it hit more than 150 percent capacity.
Staff have told RNZ there have been more than 80 arrivals since midnight, including 21 within one hour.
“I have never seen this before,” one said.
This afternoon the ED was at 156 percent capacity.
The pressure was partly due to the hospital having to pick up the slack left by smaller Northland hospitals, which were also struggling demand and staff shortages.
Bay of Islands Hospital at Kawakawa has been forced to downgrade services this weekend due to a doctor shortage.
RNZ understands up to nine patients from Bay of Islands were transferred to Whangārei yesterday, and a medical registrar had been asked to take calls for Dargaville patients, too.
Heath Minister Shane Reti has declined to comment.
Te Whatu Ora has been approached for comment.
More to come…
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