Dargaville Hospital safe without on-site doctors, Health NZ tells Northlanders

Authorities say Dargaville Hospital is safe, but high-risk patients will be transferred to Whangārei Hospital. Photo / Spotmatik

Health authorities say Dargaville Hospital is safe and any patients there will be well cared for by clinical teams, despite no doctors being on site overnight.

The comments come after an email leaked to the Northern Advocate revealed local managers and NZ Nurses’ Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) did not want the hospital to stay open when there was no doctor on site because of clinical safety fears.

The decision to retain the full overnight function of the hospital was made from the very top of Health NZ Te Whatu Ora and was “100% a political decision and not a clinical safety decision”, the email says.

Hospital management and nurse delegates have since discussed the risks and agreed to keep the hospital open, working together to provide the best care possible while looking at long-term solutions.

Health NZ northern deputy chief executive Mark Shepherd assured anyone being cared for at Dargaville Hospital that it is safe and patients will be well looked after.

But even while assuring the community, Shepherd qualified this by saying Dargaville will not care for high-risk patients, who will be taken to Whangārei Hospital.

“All patients admitted to Dargaville Hospital are assessed as appropriate for the care currently available at the hospital, with ambulance services transporting all high-risk patients directly to Whangārei Hospital.”

Shepherd also said anyone who needed hospital-level care should seek help as early as possible and call 111 in an emergency.

At Dargaville Hospital, a doctor was on site until about 6pm each day, with overnight nurses supported by a senior medical officer giving on-call cover, he said.

There had been overnight staffing issues at Dargaville Hospital for some time now and Health NZ had not been successful in recruiting senior medical officers, Shepherd said.

“This is not a position we want to be in.

Dargaville Hospital has no doctor on site overnight, but is safe to care for its patients, Health NZ says. Photo / Denise Piper

“However, the decisions we are taking to manage immediate operational and clinical issues are made with an absolute focus on maintaining appropriate access to health services for the community,” he said.

“Health NZ is committed to working with our staff, communities and unions on long-term solutions that ensure access to high-quality health services.”

Shepherd said Health NZ was also looking to address the long-standing workforce issues to ensure the needs of the local community continued to be prioritised.

“We want to thank our staff for their hard work and ongoing dedication to their patients and community,” he said.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.