Source: Radio New Zealand
More than 3200 patients left the emergency department without being treated. RNZ / REECE BAKER
Wellington Hospital’s emergency department went into its most critical code red status nearly twice a day last year.
An Official Information Act response released to the Labour Party reveals the department recorded 575 code reds between January and October, when demand outstripped available staff and beds.
The data also shows only about half of patients were treated and moved on within six hours, below the government’s target.
More than 3200 patients left the emergency department without being treated – around 10 people a day.
In a statement, Health New Zealand group director operations Capital Coast & Hutt Valley, Jamie Duncan said emergency department escalation and scoring systems helped to identify periods of pressure and guide consistent responses.
“They reflect a highly dynamic environment that can change throughout the day as patient volumes, staffing and bed availability fluctuates,” he said.
“While we acknowledge there is still work to do, Wellington Hospital’s ‘Shorter Stays in ED’ performance is improving, with 2025 year-to-date results around five percentage points higher than 2024, with a clear upward trend since July 2025, increasing from 48.4 percent in July to 61.0 percent in December 2025.”
Wellington Hospital emergency nurse Ryan O’Donnell said staffing shortages at the hospital meant patients were receiving sub-optimal care.
“We are trying to run between patients left, right and centre and we are trying to look after more patients then we can at that given moment and that’s when sub-optimal care happens, that’s when mistakes can happen,” he said.
O’Donnell added that patients were being left in emergency department corridors.
Labour’s Health spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall said the code red figures represented a 135 percent overload.
“Code reds mean staff cannot cope with demand, meaning patients aren’t able to get the care they need when they need it. Patients who don’t stick around are likely to get worse and need more urgent care in the future,” she said.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said Wellington Hospital’s emergency department had unacceptable wait times and was among the lowest-performing in the country.
“Our ED doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers work incredibly hard and are focused on delivering the best possible care for patients, but they need infrastructure that supports them to reduce wait times and improve patient flow,” he said.
The Minister said the Wellington ED redevelopment had been prioritised and fully funded through Budget 2025, with work already underway across the hospital campus.
He said the government had also directed Health New Zealand to progress extended hours for urgent and after-hours care in central Wellington, to reduce pressure on the emergency department.
“In the meantime, I have been very clear with Health New Zealand that the current situation at Wellington Hospital’s Emergency Department is not good enough for patients or staff, and I expect to see improvements.”
The Minister pointed to a $20 million funding boost announced in September last year to increase frontline emergency department staffing nationwide over nine months, including additional support for Wellington Hospital.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
