‘Utter tragedy as overworked nurses’ worst fears confirmed
Wednesday, 1 July 2026
Hours before news broke of a patient death at Waikato Hospital’s beleaguered Emergency Department, a nurse was calling for an urgent capacity boost.
Staff were overwhelmed, the union representative warned, and would leave a shift feeling relieved that no patients had died.
Unbeknownst to her, this was no longer true — mere hours later, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora confirmed that a man had died in ED overnight amid a gruelling nine hour wait to be seen.
HNZ is now investigating the death, while New Zealand Nurses Organisation President Anne Daniels reiterates that EDs are overwhelmed.
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A source at the hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Waikato Times on Tuesday that a man of unknown age died about nine hours after presenting to the ED on Monday night.
He was found unresponsive in a waiting room toilet, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
The emergency department had been struggling with high demand, and an investigation was likely to find systemic issues, the source said.
“We’re talking about this all the time,” the source said.
The source said people at the hospital learned of the situation because the man’s relative was a nurse and had posted a message on an internal staff chat thanking those who attempted to save him.
Waikato-based Nurses Organisation delegate Tracy Chisholm did not comment on the situation, but spoke to the Waikato Times hours before news of the death broke on Tuesday, warning that the ED was stretched thin.
Chisholm said staff felt “unsafe”, overwhelmed, and would leave a shift feeling relieved they survived and that no patients had died — yet worried about what they may have missed.
Earlier this month, she had experienced her worst shift in 18 years when the ED had 301 presentations on one day, leaving staff struggling to cope.
It was the highest number since last March, but she disputed the health system’s claim the figure was unusually steep — for example, on Monday, the number of presentations was 290, just eleven fewer people.
Although she could not confirm the number of ED staff, she said understaffing and a lack of space were both ongoing issues.
There was a maximum of 63 beds available, including five resuscitation beds.
“The lack of ability to care, nurse and support these patients appropriately, to meet the code of patient’s rights to care of a satisfactory standard is not unusual.
“It is simply not achievable given the staffing and number of ongoing presentations, bed block, and obstructive nature of the current Government.”
A former ED nurse also flagged her worries with the department in a letter provided to Waikato Times.
“I saw too many new staff out of their depth, and as a senior nurse I would stay on longer just to implement what I had started in patient care.
“I realised this was not helping the big picture and I was taking on more stress but what was needed was more staff.”
The NZNO issued a statement yesterday attributed to its president Anne Daniels, dubbing the death “an utter tragedy”.
“NZNO is extremely concerned that Waikato ED is dangerously understaffed. Nurses at Waikato ED are struggling to keep up with the sheer number of patients walking through the door….sometimes there isn’t even a seat left, let alone a bed”
“EDs throughout the country were overwhelmed before winter even arrived. EDs are being staffed to budget not patient need, which was not being met before winter.”
A statement issued by Health Minister Simeon Brown said there would be a 'rapid clinical review' to establish what happened.
The statement did not respond to criticism that emergency departments needed better resourcing, and said it would not be appropriate to comment on the circumstances of the death while HNZ’s review was underway.
'I have asked to be kept closely informed of the rapid clinical review's findings, and I have been clear that the family must be supported and kept fully informed every step of the way.
'My priority is ensuring the family and loved ones are supported at this difficult time, while Health New Zealand carries out its rapid clinical review.'
Waikato Hospital Medical Director of Medicine Ian Martin said HNZ was investigating the death, which had also been referred to the Coroner.
He said an immediate clinical review was underway to identify any immediate actions for improvement and would be completed this week.
A longer-term Serious Adverse Event Review, which would identify any lessons for staff, had also begun and was expected to be completed within two months.
'We would like to offer our sympathies to the family of the deceased. We have spoken with them this morning and we are continuing to offer them support.'