Furthermore, they said staff failed to recognise clear warning signs that he was seriously unwell in the days before he was hospitalised. Staff member A recollected that Mr B had been unwell during the day, but the provider noted that this was not staff member B's recollection." At about 4pm, Mr B called out that he was "dizzy and thirsty", and was brought drinks. Systemic failures included the ineffective management of Mr B's syndrome, inadequate leadership oversight, poor record-keeping, and inadequate staff member supervision of Mr B. Mr B's worsening health and ultimately his death were "avoidable", Wall said.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 20, 2026 13:22 UTC