Hospital delays 24-hour ER start

New facilities for babies and children open at Waitakere Hospital today, marking the completion of its $60 million makeover.

But one aspect of the long-promised upgrading has not been fulfilled: an emergency department that accepts patients 24-hours.

When the department opened in February, the hospital management was committed to its front door being open round the clock from today.

But to save money, this service has been delayed by at least a year.

The department will continue to close to "walk-in" patients between 10pm and 8am.

Adults who need an emergency department during those hours can, as now, go to Auckland City Hospital or North Shore Hospital.

Children referred by a GP or brought in by ambulance will be accepted by Waitakere Hospital overnight.

The general manager of Waitakere and North Shore Hospitals, Rachel Haggerty, said people would continue to have the choice of going to a 24-hour accident and medical centre in Lincoln Rd not far from the hospital.

She said the Waitemata District Health Board, which runs the two hospitals, had decided that developments such as Waitakere Hospital's new eight-bed special-care baby unit and 10-bed paediatric short-stay unit were a higher priority than opening the emergency department's front door overnight.

"It's about rationing, as everything is in health. We identified that very few people attend between 10pm and 8am in any emergency department. It was likely to be in the 20 range."

The chairman of primary health organisation HealthWEST, Dr Clive Stone, said he was disappointed about the delay in introducing full 24-hour emergency services.

"The West Auckland community would be a little aghast if they realised they weren't going to get a 24-hour service for yet another year."

The special-care baby unit is for babies born as early as 32-weeks' gestation (about eight weeks early) and as small as 1500g, who need neonatal support.

Waitakere babies needing intensive care will still be cared for by National Women's Health at Auckland City Hospital.