A Ngapuhi elder has criticised his people for the stress placed on hospitals by "turning up in busloads" to visit the sick.
The worsening behaviour of visitors at Whangarei Area Hospital is concerning Northland Health, which is threatening to cut back on visitor numbers and hours.
The complaints include visitors crowding out rooms, sleeping in hospital beds, making nurses babysit and bringing in takeaways.
Kaumatua Graham Rankin said he did not approve of the large numbers of whanau who descended on the ill in hospital.
He said the problem had worsened over the years with the rise of the politically correct.
"This would never have happened in the days when matrons ran the wards."
Kaumatua criticises ward disruption
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.