The immediate clinical review into the death of a person waiting for treatment at Waikato Hospital's emergency department has described the incident as "acute" and "unexpected".
Last week, 1News reported that the man, aged in his mid-50s, died in a toilet at the hospital's emergency department after waiting more than nine hours to be seen.
It's understood the man first arrived at the hospital at 3.40pm on Monday, with police confirming a report of a death at a medical facility on Pembroke St just before 2am Tuesday.
Today, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora announced the death was an "acute unexpected incident".
"The review did not identify that additional monitoring would have changed the outcome in this case," said said executive national clinical director Dr Richard Sullivan.
"The review document has been shared with the family, and they have asked for privacy."
"Given this we will not be releasing further details on the case."
Wait times extended by ward closures, staff sickness
Sullivan said EDs typically have higher numbers of patients over winter, and Waikato Hospital was no exception.
“Recently, wait times have been affected by the closure of two wards within the hospital to new patients due to Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) impacting on patient flow and unplanned leave of frontline nurses and doctors due to sickness.”
He said a winter preparedness plan was in place to help hospitals manage these seasonal pressures.
Sam and Deanne Browne said the man's death in an emergency department bathroom at Waikato Hospital was "horrific". (Source: 1News)
National guidelines being developed
Sullivan added national guidelines are being developed to ensure patients whose condition may deteriorate while waiting in ED are "escalated appropriately".
“Monitoring of waiting rooms is normal practice in our EDs and was being carried on the day this patient was in ED. The national guidelines will standardise the frequency and nature of that monitoring.
“A group of experienced medical, nursing and allied health ED professionals will be established immediately to progress the development of the guidelines. We will work to have the guidelines operational within two months.”
Signage in the ED waiting rooms was also being reviewed, to give patients clear advice on what to do if their condition changed while they were waiting.
Further review of 'all aspects related to the case'
Two reviews were ordered after the death was reported.
An immediate clinical review was launched after the man's death, with its findings released today.
Sullivan said the second and more indepth serious adverse event review into the incident would be completed in August, which would “investigate all aspects related to the case”.
“This includes the people involved, their tools and the internal and external environments.”
Sullivan added the purpose of the indepth review is to identify opportunities for learning and improvement with the goal of reducing preventable harm and continuously improving the quality and safety of patient care.
'Scenes of absolute chaos'
Health NZ Executive Regional Director Cath Cronin said the man who died was "waiting longer than we would have expected". (Source: Breakfast)
Witnesses to the incident described scenes of "absolute chaos" and chairs "filled to the brim" with patients waiting to be seen – some for more than 10 hours.
Health NZ executive regional director Cath Cronin confirmed that the man was "waiting a longer time than we would have expected".
She said the man had been triaged, seen to, and observed by staff.
Health NZ has a 2030 target of 95% of patients being admitted, discharged or transferred from an ED within six hours.
The most recent data show that nationally it’s at 74.4%, with the Waikato district at 66.5%.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said Health NZ had assured him the man's family would get answers as to what happened.
Brown said his priority was "ensuring the family and loved ones are supported at this difficult time".
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