A patient collapsed and required CPR while waiting in the Emergency Department (ED) at Waikato Hospital on the evening of August 26, highlighting ongoing concerns about bed availability and patient triage at the facility. Hospital staff successfully revived the patient, who is reported to be recovering well.

According to a source familiar with the incident, the patient collapsed in the waiting room due to a lack of available beds upon arrival. The individual was reportedly triaged as category three, indicating a potentially life-threatening condition that ideally should be seen within 30 minutes.

Stephanie Doe, Waikato group operations director, confirmed that the patient experienced a medical event approximately 40 minutes after arriving at the ED. She stated that staff responded immediately and provided care but declined to specify the patient’s triage category or whether the recommended timeframe for assessment was met. Doe also said staffing levels were not believed to have contributed to the incident.

The episode follows the June 30 death of Brent Horsburgh, a father of five who collapsed and died after waiting more than nine hours for care at the same hospital. A rapid review of Horsburgh’s case found that some doctors and nurses were off sick at the time. The current incident has not been confirmed as subject to an investigation by Health New Zealand, which did not respond to questions about the latest event.

Waikato Hospital, like many emergency departments across New Zealand, has experienced increased demand this winter due to a rise in patients presenting with influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory illnesses. In August, the hospital recorded an average of 266 ED presentations per day, compared with 256 daily presentations during the same period last year. Single-day peaks have reached as high as 299 arrivals.

Doe acknowledged the hospital has occasionally operated at capacity, prompting efforts to increase both bed availability and staffing levels. She also noted that more staff had been off work due to illness, which has further challenged the hospital’s ability to manage patient flow.

The situation underscores persistent pressures on emergency services amid seasonal respiratory outbreaks and staff shortages, raising questions about the hospital’s triage processes and the adequacy of resources to promptly accommodate patients requiring urgent care.