Canterbury health units at risk of 'acute service failure' could lead to deaths – expertSUPPLIED Several departments at Christchurch Hospital are under such pressure they are at risk of acute service failure (file photo). Christchurch's Emergency Department (ED), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), general medicine and acute mental health services are at risk of "acute service failure". This week Stuff obtained extracts of the report, including a definition of "acute service failure" as "when there are insufficient resources to do today what needs to be done today". However, the CDHB had been under more pressure since the February 2011 earthquake and has had to monitor the risk of service failure closely. Stuff asked Meates what would happen if service failure occurred in the services most at risk.

Source: Stuff March 14, 2018 05:15 UTC