Photo / Dean Purcell

Photo / Dean Purcell

North Shore Hospital has done far too little to end overcrowding, says the Health and Disability Commissioner.

And he has told the Government to fix the problem at all hospitals.

In a damning report on North Shore Hospital released today, Ron Paterson criticises the failure of hospitals throughout New Zealand to deal with overcrowding.

Click here for the full report

But a former top health official says the report is "incredibly naive".

Mr Paterson says hospitals operate most efficiently at 85 per cent occupancy, but in the Auckland region in winter they are usually more than 95 per cent full.

"It seems that lip-service is paid to the 85 per cent mark, but little is done to encourage district health boards to reach this level."

Mr Paterson began his inquiry into North Shore Hospital last year after receiving several complaints about overcrowding during the flood of sick people in the winter of 2007.

He focused on lapses in the care provided to five sick, elderly people. Four died, but Mr Paterson says the lapses did not cause their deaths.

"The care of the five patients in 2007 was compromised by inadequate systems and the failure of Waitemata District Health Board to resolve overcrowding and staff shortages."

But he reserves his strongest rebuke for the board that runs the hospital.

"For several years, clinical leaders had consistently raised concerns ... There had been a lot of talk but not enough action at board level."

Concerns about chronic problems in the emergency care centre (ECC) and in acute care dated back to 2002.

"It is troubling that nurses, doctors and hospital management can predict problems and identify solutions but that chief executives and boards can be so slow to respond."

Mr Paterson said the Waitemata board argued strongly although unsuccessfully that it was not receiving its fair share of funding from the Ministry of Health.

But it had failed to plan early enough for population growth by seeking state approval to expand the hospital.

It had not made a case to the Government for the money needed to expand acute services at North Shore until last November.