National Party health spokesman Dr Shane Reti says Counties Manukau DHB should release its preliminary findings into a patient's death at Middlemore Hospital this month.
National Party health spokesman Dr Shane Reti says releasing the preliminary findings into a patient's death at Middlemore Hospital is needed to help reassure the public. Photo: STUFF / Robert Kitchin
The patient first arrived at the emergency department at about 1am on 15 June with a severe headache. She was told it would likely be hours before she could be seen and left.
She then returned to the hospital unconscious after a "massive" subarachnoid haemorrhage and died the following day.
Reti said the DHB signalled it was carrying out an urgent investigation and releasing the findings would allow any recommendations to be implemented straight away.
"That would be a reasonable expectation in this case," Reti said. "The public needs some reassurance here."
He said the biggest question remained whether the patient was triaged, before being told there was a long wait time.
"And they should have the answer to that early in the investigation," Reti said.
The Counties Manukau DHB had its last meeting on Thursday and will cease to exist from Friday under the Government's health reforms.
But a spokesperson said neither the findings from the investigation, nor any update on the case was presented at the closed-door meeting.
The DHB refused to answer additional questions regarding when any preliminary findings would be released and said it didn't have a time schedule for the completion of a final report.
That is despite the fact Counties Manukau DHB chairman Mark Gosche recently said he was expecting to receive more information on the case this week.
"The investigation is under way and until that is completed there's not a lot we can say," he said. "But I would expect that to come to the board when we meet for our last meeting."
Middlemore Hospital's emergency department has seen a massive spike in patient numbers this month due to winter respiratory viruses such as the flu, as well as Covid-19. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
Counties Manukau Health's acting chief executive Dr Pete Watson said chief medical officer Dr Andrew Connolly was leading a review of the incident, which was yet to be finalised.
"From time to time when waiting times are long patients may choose to leave our emergency department before they are seen, as occurred in this case. This patient had a catastrophic medical event a few hours later at home and returned to the hospital emergency department.
"Unfortunately despite immediate medical assessment and appropriate treatment her condition did not respond. Sadly the patient passed away the following day and our heartfelt sympathy remains with the family for their loss."
In a statement Health Minister Andrew Little said he wasn't responsible for the release of the investigation's findings.
"But my expectation is that the hospital does a review and that it gets a chance to complete that. It may then share that with the family and will consider whether it should go to the Health and Disability Commissioner."
He said it would also need to take into account any inquest being undertaken by the Coroner.
Middlemore Hospital's emergency department has seen a massive spike in patient numbers this month due to winter respiratory viruses such as the flu, as well as Covid-19.
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