Waikato ED still waiting for ‘rapid build’ boost in wake of patient death

Thursday, 2 July 2026

Plans for a new ward, with much-needed extra beds to support Waikato Hospital’s ED, appear to have been resurrected following a patient death.

However, Labour has accused the Government of breaking promises, and a frustrated nurse told the Waikato Times that plans for the unit, meant to be operational in the second half of 2026, were “a load of crap”.

Health Minister Simeon Brown’s office confirmed on Wednesday that the prefabricated ward would be built at Waikato Hospital, providing 28 extra beds.

The ED is under scrutiny after a patient found unresponsive in a waiting room toilet couldn’t be revived - reportedly after a nine-hour wait. Shortly before his death, overwhelmed nurses had been pushing to get more backup in the department.

Having enough bed spaces to move people through is “the biggest problem”, a Waikato-based New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegate said.

Speaking before news of the man’s death broke, Tracy Chisholm said the union had been told the new ward wouldn’t go ahead.

Calling for urgent action in ED, Chisholm said in order to rein in long waiting times, more space was needed.

Last November, Brown announced plans for a rapid-build 28-bed ward at Waikato Hospital, as well as four other locations.

Brown said the new wards would be built off-site and be installed and operational in the second half of 2026.

“They will ease pressure on emergency departments, support faster admissions and discharges, and improve patient flow right across the hospital,” he said at the time.

Chisholm said in May this year they were told that the Waikato unit was not happening due to logistical problems and a lack of space — it was supposed to be near the ED to free up existing bed capacity for people who needed to be seen rapidly.

“There was big plans by the Government who never actually looked at the Waikato site to figure out if they could actually build it.”

Expressing her frustration, she said it had “just been a load of crap”.

When told the minister’s office had confirmed the build would go ahead, Chisholm said the time, location, and “real confirmation” were lacking.

Labour's health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said the Government had “clearly broken the promise” it made - and was keen to promote - eight months ago.

“These new buildings were supposed to be operational last month and were intended to take pressure off the ED. ”

“Staff I’ve been in touch with haven’t seen any sign of the new buildings, and doubt that any could actually fit the proposed site. Proper due diligence clearly hasn’t happened.”

Asked if and how Labour would boost ED capacity, Verrall did not commit to any extra beds, but said the party had a policy to provide people with three free GP visits so that more small problems were treated rather than snowballing into emergency issues.

Also in the ED waiting room the night the patient died were Grace Minardo, her husband and their two-year-old daughter.

Minardo was tearful as she remembered a crowded night in ED, where the average wait time was 10-and-a-half hours.

They needed to use a bathroom with a changing space for a child, and her husband noticed one door was closed but not engaged.

“So he slightly opened the door and he saw this poor man slouched back.”

They thought the man was asleep, but told a nurse before going into the other toilet.

She then heard the voices of several medical staff checking on the man, saying there was no pulse, and asking for adrenaline.

“When we came out, everybody was quite sombre and silent and there was a nurse that came to us and asked if we were okay.”

Not long afterwards, the doctor called her.She had been hoping for “a miracle” for the man, but instead read in the news that he had died.

Health NZ said in a statement that it has 148.9 FTE nurses employed in the Waikato Hospital ED - 7.93 short of what is budgeted for, but it is “actively recruiting”.

Winter is always busy, Waikato chief nurse officer Cheryl Atherfold said, and initiatives to deal with that are under way.

That includes an ED floor manager to support patient flow and a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner on the overnight roster.