Rotorua Hospital: Boy waits five hours in ED with two head injuries

Charnelle Burrows' three-year-old son waited five hours to be seen at Rotorua Hospital ED after he hit his head twice in two separate incidents at his daycare on February 25. Photo: Andrew Warner / Supplied

A 3-year-old with two head injuries, including a “tennis ball-sized lump”, waited five hours to be seen at Rotorua Hospital’s emergency department, his mother says.

Charnelle Burrows said she believed her son’s injuries - sustained in separate incidents on February 25 - were not “taken seriously” by hospital staff.

“I felt like I’d lost confidence in the system. I know that our doctors and nurses they work hard but they just don’t seem to have those resources,” she told the Rotorua Daily Post.

In her view: “The healthcare system is underfunded … and that has to be changed.”

Health NZ says the emergency department was fully staffed that day and patients are triaged by condition, with a target of being seen within six hours.

‘He couldn’t remember what he ate for breakfast’

Burrows said her son’s daycare called her before midday on February 25. She was told he had hit the back of his head on concrete when he fell backwards off a picnic bench.

She was told staff put ice on a “small bump” but he was “absolutely fine” and kept playing.

Burrows said she got another call at 2.45pm, and was told he was riding a bike, fell forward and hit his mouth on the handlebar.

When he got off the bike, he tripped on the pedal and went “face forward” on to the concrete, she said.

Burrows said this caused a “tennis ball-sized lump” on the front of his head and he cut his lip open.

Charnelle Burrows' son waited five hours to be seen at Rotorua Hospital ED after he hit his head twice in two separate incidents at his daycare on February 25. Photo / Supplied

She rushed to his daycare.

“He was saying that he had a headache, he had some pain in one of his eyes, and he couldn’t actually remember the first fall. And he couldn’t remember what he ate for breakfast that morning either.”

Burrows suspected a concussion and took him to hospital, arriving just before 4pm.

Five-hour wait for a ‘two-minute’ consultation

Burrows said her son was triaged and given Pamol for his headache and they were sent to the waiting room.

He kept complaining about his sore eye and head, and feeling tired.

“I felt so helpless.”

She heard other patients discussing their injuries and felt her son’s two head injuries made him “probably” a higher priority.

Charnelle Burrows' son waited five hours to be seen at Rotorua Hospital ED after he hit his head twice in two separate incidents at his daycare on February 25. Photo / Supplied

In her view, the staff seemed “overwhelmed” and “just couldn’t keep up with the demand”.

Her husband took over about 5pm so she could pick up their other two children from after-school care.

Her son was finally seen just after 9pm.

“That was a two-minute consultation, given a head injury leaflet to say these are [the symptoms] you need to watch out for …”

Burrows said her son had since improved, though still had some head pain.

“In hindsight, he’s great … but it could have been a lot worse.”

She was worried he could have had a bleed or fracture.

“I just feel like we need more staff and better funding. The healthcare system, it just feels like it’s broken. Nobody should have to wait for hours when they need medical care.”

She said her family had been to the emergency department “a few times” but this was the longest wait.

“It’s not the nurses’ and the doctors’ fault … they’re overburdened … and that’s something that the Government, Te Whatu Ora, they need to step up and actually do something about it.”

Health NZ, Minister responds

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Lakes group director operations Alan Wilson said the emergency department wait time target was to be seen within six hours.

He said Rotorua’s emergency department was fully staffed on February 25.

“We acknowledge that having to wait any time in a busy emergency department can be stressful.”

He said all emergency department arrivals were triaged, and patients with the most serious conditions were seen first.

“The safety and wellbeing of our patients who require hospital care remains our priority, and the public can be assured that if they or their loved ones need hospital-level care, they will receive it.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Health Minister Simeon Brown said his priority was ensuring Kiwis had access to “timely, quality healthcare” by refocussing the health system on the Government’s health targets.

One target was ensuring patients were admitted, discharged or transferred from the emergency department within six hours.

Brown said the Government invested a record $16.68 billion in health over three years in Budget 2024.

Brown announced on Monday a $285m boost over three years for general practices, which would help relieve pressure on emergency departments.

“I appreciate that it can be an extremely stressful time for anyone presenting to an emergency department with an injured child and am glad to hear that the child’s condition has improved.”

A new study by Te Pūnaha Matatini and Auckland University found Healthline prevented about 83 “unnecessary” emergency department visits a day across Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Waikato, Taranaki, and Tairāwhiti.

A press release from Healthline operator Whakarongorau Aotearoa said Healthline advice diverted 14.6% of potential emergency presentations from July 2019 to June 2024.

In Bay of Plenty, Healthline prevented 29.6% of potential presentations, followed by Lakes (23.5%) and Waikato (14.1%).

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.