Hospital warns of eight-hour wait at ED

A stretched Auckland hospital has denied that emergency patients endured wait-times of up to eight hours, despite warning signs to that effect.

On Friday, signs in Middlemore Hospital’s Emergency Department advised patients may have to wait eight hours to be seen by a doctor.

The signs also told patients that ‘‘the Hospital is full’’.

However, a spokesperson for the hospital said emergency wait-times never reached eight hours.

Ministry of Health targets set in 2009 require District Health Boards to admit, discharge or transfer 95 per cent of patients from an ED within six hours.

Green Party MP Julie-Anne Genter shared a photo of the sign on social media saying the ED was so full that half a dozen people were left waiting outside the doors of the hospital.

‘‘It looked like they were in dire straits. From what I’ve heard this is becoming a regular occurrence.’’

Lauren Young, speaking on behalf of Counties Manukau District Health Board and Middlemore Hospital, admitted a sign had been put up advising patients of wait times of up to eight hours but denied wait times on Friday night ever reached that level.

‘‘Up until midnight, we were within our six-hour target. This is despite a very busy Friday evening when more than 400 patients were seen.’’

DILEEPA FONSEKA