By Ellen O'Dwyer of RNZHealth New Zealand has apologised to a woman who spent 11-and-a-half hours at Wellington Hospital's emergency department, but was never seen by a doctor. She arrived at the emergency department about 12.30 pm on December 1, talked to reception and saw a triage nurse, she said. After about 11 hours, she said she asked to talk to the charge nurse about the delay in seeing a doctor. She said while she understood some of the pressures Wellington Hospital was under, she felt the communication at Christchurch Hospital was clearer, more understanding and more efficient. The government announced last June Wellington Hospital would receive a major upgrade, with a new emergency department and 126 additional beds and treatment spaces.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 04, 2026 19:19 UTC