Do all you can to help, says patient

Richard Clement has a simple message about New Zealand’s health system: we need to help it as much as we can.

The 72-year-old retiree needs surgery to remove his gallbladder due to gallstones.

He first experienced the excruciating pain of gallstones in March 2021. Since then, he’s had three trips to the emergency department in ambulances when the condition flares up, causing crippling pain and even vomiting.

But, he says, he’s lucky. Between ‘‘episodes’’ he’s pain free – he just doesn’t know when the next one will occur.

He was expecting surgery before Christmas, having gone through all the required pre-op checks, including meeting with an anaesthetist.

By March he hadn’t heard anything, and when he called to ask about his surgery was told there were delays due to staffing problems. He was told it might happen in April. ‘‘But then, of course, Omicron hit, and I haven’t bothered to call again.’’

Now, he’s waiting, but he’s also unable to plan. He’s cancelled a cruise in October because of the uncertainty – he can’t risk having an episode overseas, and he could be called up for the surgery.

‘‘It’s hard to plan anything.’’ He’d also stayed home while his partner took a trip to visit family in Australia.

‘‘If I’d gone with her, and then they had called me for the operation, I would have gone to the bottom of the list again.’’

Despite the long wait, Clements said his overall impression of the health system was ‘‘very good’’ – it was just in the middle of a ‘‘perfect storm’’.

‘‘I feel very, very sorry for the medical professionals that are doing their best to help us.’’

He urged the public to do what it could to help protect it – by wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

‘‘It does annoy me when people don’t do the right thing that they’re being asked to do, such as mask wearing and vaccination. That just makes things worse for everybody.’’

In the 12 months ending in May, Nelson Marlborough Health delivered 82% of the planned 5623 surgical discharges.

Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand hospital and specialist services interim lead Dr Dale Bramley confirmed planned care had been reduced in Nelson Marlborough due to Covid-19 precautions and priority given to patients with the highest clinical need and urgency.

‘‘Both Wairau and Nelson hospitals are experiencing high acute demand at ED and for inpatient beds.’’

Lexie O’shea, interim district director Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Nelson Marlborough, would not comment on individual cases, but said they were working hard to manage ‘‘ongoing and considerable pressure on planned care delivery’’ in the midst of national pressure from the Covid-19 pandemic and winter illnesses, including influenza.

Planned care was continuing but at a reduced rate, she said.

‘‘We apologise to those who have had their planned care deferred, and we understand how hard this is for members of our community. This isn’t a decision we have made lightly, but it is the way we can continue to deliver safe care to those who are very unwell.’’

Postponements occurred for a variety of reasons, including staff and patient sickness, planned care patients returning positive Covid tests, staff vacancies and high occupancy rates for acute patients, she said.

‘‘We are working regionally to manage capacity and demand across the South Island. We are also utilising private providers in our region as well. Any postponed procedures remain on lists and are not cancelled.’’