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 while waiting to be assessed. The NZ Herald reported the person had been waiting more than nine hours.
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.
'Health NZ assures me' family will get answers – Health Minister
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."
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