Waitakere Hospital refuses patients

Waitakere Hospital's emergency department is only open between 8am and 6.30pm. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Patients needing urgent medical care are being turned away from Waitakere Hospital as the hospital struggles with staff shortages.

People needing after-hours emergency care at Waitakere Hospital are being redirected to North Shore or Auckland Hospitals because Waitakere's emergency department is only open between 8am and 6.30pm.

Private medical centre White Cross is 400m from the hospital but patients have to pay fees for treatment there.

Waitakere Hospital staff initially gave out vouchers to help cover the cost for patients redirected to the White Cross. But now the vouchers have been withdrawn and patients need to pay the treatment costs themselves.

Waitemata District Health Board chief operation officer Graham Dyer confirmed patients needing emergency treatment were diverted to either North Shore or Auckland Hospitals.

Waitakere's restriction was caused by a shortage of emergency staff - part of a national and international shortage in emergency medical specialists, he said.

"Many of the smaller emergency departments (in other hospitals) are experiencing this trouble."

He said they are looking at getting the hours back on in the "near distant future", but could not provide a date.

The hospital's emergency services department was intended to be a 24-hour service when it was commissioned in 2005. In a controversial move in January this year closing hours were reduced from 10pm to 6.30pm.

Last year the hospital's board said it planned to have a 24-hour department by 2010 but Dyer said that was not feasible. He said he is committed to increasing Waitakere Hospital's opening hours.

"Getting a solution on this is one of my priorities. That's been made clear by the board.

"We're looking at options and what they cost. We've got to prioritise where we put that funding."

Waitakere deputy mayor Penny Hulse, who was a member of the Waitakere DHB for six years, said West Aucklanders should have the same access to healthcare as the North Shore and central Auckland.

She wants to see the Government come through with their election promises to increase care to 24 hours.

"Our challenge to Government is to follow up on their promises. We'd like to see a comprehensive plan of what and by when."

Heath Minister Tony Ryall said there has been a lot of uncertainty over the Waitakere Hospital emergency department ever since it opened.

"I have made it clear to both the past and present DHB chairs that we want and expect progress to resolve this issue for the people of Waitakere."

Labour health spokesperson Ruth Dyson said Ryall "might have to do more than demand things".