'Family will rightly want answers' about ED death – Health Minister

Health Minister Simeon Brown says his heart goes out to the family and loved ones of a person who died while waiting to be seen at Waikato Hospital this week.

1News understands a patient died in a toilet at the emergency department of the hospital after waiting more than nine hours to be seen.

A witness, who was at the hospital shortly after the man was found unconscious by a member of the public, said family were there and were "distraught".

It's understood the man, aged in his mid 50s, had presented at the emergency department at 3.40pm on Monday.

Police confirmed receiving report of a death at a medical facility on Pembroke St in Hamilton just before 2am today.

Waikato Hospital medical director of medicine Ian Martin told 1News in a statement the patient presented to the emergency department last night and was triaged on arrival.

"The patient was later found unconscious and efforts to resuscitate them were sadly unsuccessful," Martin said.

"An immediate clinical review into the death is underway to identify any immediate actions for improvement. This review will be completed this week."

Longer term, Martin said Health New Zealand has commenced a serious adverse event review into the death and also began to "identify any wider learnings for staff". This review was expected to be completed within two months.

Martin added Health New Zealand was offering support to the family of the person who had died and the death had also been referred to the Coroner.

In a statement this afternoon, Brown said he had spoken with Health New Zealand, who "will carry out a rapid clinical review" to establish what has happened.

"The individual's family will rightly want answers, and Health New Zealand has assured me they will get them."

Brown said he would not comment on the specific circumstances of the incident out of respect for the family and so the review could "do its work properly".

"I respectfully ask others to do the same," he said.

"I have asked to be kept closely informed of the rapid clinical review's findings, and I have been clear that the family must be supported and kept fully informed every step of the way.

"My priority is ensuring the family and loved ones are supported at this difficult time, while Health New Zealand carries out its rapid clinical review."

1News sought more information from Health New Zealand about how long the patient was waiting and where they were found unconscious, but was told: "While the immediate clinical review and the Serious Adverse Event Review are ongoing we are not in a position to confirm further details."

Speaking to reporters in Parliament this afternoon, Brown said "clearly, it's not good enough", and it is a "terrible situation".

“There is a significant amount of work underway across Health New Zealand to ensure that New Zealanders get the timely quality access to healthcare that they need.

“There is a significant amount of work to meet our targets. There has been improvement across the board, there is still more work to do.”

Also questioned at Parliament, Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said doctors and nurses "have been saying for some time now that the staffing shortages in emergency departments, the shortage of capacity in emergency departments, is a tragedy waiting to happen".

"Sadly we have now seen that sort of tragedy take place."

Hipkins added his heart also went out to the family and individual.

"It’s not good enough. The Government have been denying the crisis in hospital emergency departments, despite the fact those people working in those emergency departments are saying the hiring freeze has had an impact, the Government’s spending cuts have had an impact, and they’re asking for better. The Government must take this seriously."