The parents of a baby girl are devastated after being told surgery to help her to eat without a tube has been postponed because of hospital strikes.

An Auckland surgeon says he was astounded when a 15-year-old girl walked into hospital complaining she had swallowed a 19cm toothbrush.

Surgery is being cancelled for hundreds of patients from Tuesday in preparation for four days of strikes by radiographers.

TVNZ has apologised for a comment by presenter Paul Henry that overseas-trained doctors can't be as good as those trained in NZ.

Many patients booked for elective surgery or an outpatient visit will have their appointments postponed during planned walkouts.

A baby narrowly avoided being crushed by a truck which flipped in slippery conditions on Auckland's North Shore today.

Health authorities have tightened rules around the monitoring of overseas-trained doctors, following concerns being expressed for several years over supervision.

One of NZ's most remote and cash-strapped health boards is paying fill-in surgeons up to $2500 a day, beating some of our highest earners.

Alarming administration errors led to confusion over which of an elderly woman's legs needed surgery and her being sent home, dying days later.

Toys coated in 'liquid glass' to stop bacteria

Authorities in central Mexico say a newborn baby girl, who was declared dead but later revived inside her coffin, has died.

A plaque commemorating two whistle-blowers on the "unfortunate experiment" at National Women's Hospital has disappeared.

The departure of Capital Coast District Health Board chief executive Ken Whelan because of pressure to cut costs will not be the last, Labour MP Ruth Dyson says.

The body of a Lt Tim O'Donnell and two of his injured comrades will fly back to NZ later today, the Defence Force says.