Waikato Hospital’s emergency department is again under severe strain and has been forgotten by Labour and its Health Minister, National’s Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti says.

“In the last few months, Waikato’s emergency department been beset with problems which have put patients’ health in jeopardy.

“Ambulances have been forced to queue outside the hospital due to a lack of space, health and safety concerns have been raised about unsafe staffing levels, and now St John’s Ambulance has declared a ‘major incident’ after being forced to set up makeshift patient offloading areas.

“For months I have been raising concerns about Waikato’s emergency department, but the Labour Government and Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall have taken no action, and instead focused on themselves and petty politics.  

“Dr Verrall refused to add Waikato to the list of emergency departments to receive extra support, despite ongoing stories of staff burnout, understaffing, and ambulances waiting outside with patents due to the lack of space.

“The Minister is refusing to front up or take meaningful action, and sick and injured people in the Waikato suffer.  

“I’ve been with an ambulance crew in the Waikato to see the health sector after dark – and the ambulance I was in was one of five that became a waiting room on wheels that evening.

“National knows that workforce is the most pressing issue facing the health sector, so we have already announced plans to increase nurses and midwives numbers, and to build a third medical school at Waikato University to deliver more doctors each year.

“A National-led government will rebuild the economy so that we can deliver the health care that New Zealanders deserve.”