The investigation into a patient's death at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital is still ongoing.
Acting chief executive for Counties Manukau Health Dr Pete Watson said chief medical officer Dr Andrew Connolly was leading the review into the incident that saw a woman die.
READ MORE: Patient dies after leaving Middlemore ED due to wait time
The woman died on June 16 after arriving at the emergency department the morning prior with a severe headache. She was told it would likely be hours before she could be seen and left, a doctor said.
She then returned to the hospital in an ambulance about 4am, unconscious after a "massive" brain haemorrhage. She died after spending time in the intensive care unit.
In a statement, Watson said the preliminary investigation confirmed the emergency department was "extremely busy and wait times for a consultation with a doctor were long" when the woman arrived.
"From time to time when waiting times are long patients may choose to leave our emergency department before they are seen, as occurred in this case," Watson said.
READ MORE: Investigation findings into Middlemore patient death due this week
"This patient had a catastrophic medical event a few hours later at home and returned to the hospital emergency department.
"Unfortunately despite immediate medical assessment and appropriate treatment her condition did not respond. Sadly the patient passed away the following day and our heartfelt sympathy remains with the family for their loss."
Earlier this week, a doctor said despite the fact the emergency department was experiencing record admissions and long wait times for patients, the woman should have been given priority.
Meanwhile, nurses are warning more people will die if the health sector's staffing crisis is not urgently fixed.
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