When surgeons proposed amputating part of Renata Muunu-Te Tane's left leg to eradicate cancer, his parents were understandably shocked - but another shock was yet to come.

A giant Easter egg hunt kicked off yesterday to raise money for Starship children's hospital.

An uncle of a young mother who died six hours after giving birth says changes must be made so new midwives are mentored after graduating.

The collapse of the Southern District Health Board's computer system could affect elective surgery and other procedures at Dunedin Hospital.

Karen Rowan feared she would die of pain while a surgeon operated when she was fully awake but unable to call out because of an anaesthetic failure.

A young midwife has begrudgingly admitted she was out of her depth when a mother collapsed while trying to deliver her baby, an inquest has heard.

A young mother-to-be who fainted while giving birth was having an amniotic embolism that would kill her not long after, a medical expert says.

An inquest has heard a young woman's medical notes seemed to be lacking when she arrived at hospital, haemorrahaging from childbirth and about to die.

As Casey Nathan was being rushed to hospital, she looked at her boyfriend, Hayden Tukiri, and said: "Babe, I'm gonna die."

A fired nurse has claimed another $3500 in her battle with the Auckland District Health Board.

Fifty years ago a hospital dedicated to women and their babies opened in Auckland. Andrew Stone talks to Linda Bryder, author of a new book on its chequered history

A midwife who made a catalogue of errors that led to the death of a newborn baby - and almost claimed the life of his mother - has apologised for the first time.

A report into a horrific labour that left the baby dead and the mother with debilitating injuries is critical of the midwife and the DHB obstetrician involved.

The noise from major construction is upsetting patients at Auckland City Hospital, who are being offered earplugs to block out the banging and crashing.

Drunk patients account for almost a third of those seeking emergency hospital treatment on Saturday nights, research shows.

Ill-prepared families are dumping elderly relatives at hospitals before going on their holidays in a practice known as "granny dumping".

A nurse who verbally abused patients, fell asleep on the job and spent hours surfing the web has won $2.5k compensation after being wrongly dismissed.

One in five patients who turn up in NZ hospital emergency departments in the small hours of the morning are there because of booze, a study has found.

About 280,000 New Zealanders are waiting for elective surgery, and more than half are not on waiting lists, new research shows.

Two 60-year-old men in the Dutch city of Breda had an emotional meeting after a DNA test proved they had been mixed up as babies and given to the wrong mothers in 1953.

A traveling medical technician was sentenced Monday to 39 years in prison for stealing painkillers and infecting dozens of patients in multiple states with hepatitis C through tainted syringes.

The case of Leah Gayo, who suffered a heart attack in labour and died during childbirth in hospital, is among 489 serious adverse events at hospitals and health centres last year.

A woman who died in childbirth and the death of a teenage boy who was sent home with a serious infection are two of almost 500 adverse events reported in NZ hospitals.

Immigration officials will consider removing GPs from a skills shortage list as newly qualified immigrant doctors struggle to find jobs in hospitals.