Hospital misses performance benchmark

Patients ranked as 'almost critical' upon arrival at Christchurch Hospital are still not being seen in the recommended time.

That is the finding of the latest Hospital Benchmark Report, which ranks District Health Boards around the country for their performance.

The report shows while triage one, the most critical of patients, were dealt with in the approved time frame, the same did not apply for triage 2 and 3.

It claims the emergency department fell well short of the benchmarks for triage two and three patients, and showed no sign of improving.

The longer waiting times were attributed to increasing numbers of patients in the emergency department, and overcrowding.

- NEWSTALK ZB