Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Carmen Hall: Emergency Department not the problem - blame the lack of services

Carmen Hall
By Carmen Hall
Bay of Plenty Times·
15 Nov, 2021 08:56 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

The emergency entrance at Tauranga Hospital. Photo / NZME

The emergency entrance at Tauranga Hospital. Photo / NZME

OPINION

A week ago I ended up in the emergency department at Tauranga Hospital.

I woke up in the middle of the night with chest pains, a sore back and a racing heartbeat. I rang NZ Healthline at 1.36am for advice and to soothe my increasing anxiety.

After talking to the nurse and answering numerous questions she suggested a trip to the Emgergency Department, despite my protests that I could attend a walk-in clinic at 8am.

Long story short, I was at the hospital for about 10 hours. I was triaged on arrival and within an hour I was put on the heart monitor, blood was taken and I had an X-ray.

Open up the latest news from Bay of Plenty

Get daily Bay of Plenty headlines straight to your inbox.
Please email me competitions, offers and other updates. You can stop these at any time.
By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I am fortunate, I did not have a heart attack or any related abnormalities. But I did have something else which required antibiotics and another check-up next month.

There were about six patients when I was there in numerous states of distress and it is fair to say some tempers flared as night turned into day.

On Saturday, this newspaper reported a backlash against Tauranga Hospital as it took 11 hours for three-year-old Dwayne John (DJ) Mills to see a doctor.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He was coughing, feverish and had trouble breathing. The Katikati toddler was diagnosed with croup but his family raised concerns over wait times and staffing levels. They wondered how the hospital would cope with a Covid outbreak and were worried about the lack of other after-hour emergency services.

I agree the wait time for DJ seems extreme. One of my children was also a severe asthmatic so I am familiar with the late-night hospital dashes and the rising fear and panic.

Discover more

Busy September for TECT rescue helicopter

12 Oct 05:44 PM

Lifting Bay jab rate could prevent 100 Covid deaths in 2022

09 Nov 05:00 PM
New Zealand

'Hard to breathe': Sick 3-year-old waits 11 hours to see ED doctor

12 Nov 05:00 PM

Homicide investigation launched after death of Te Puna 5yo

13 Nov 03:34 AM

It is every parent's worst nightmare and I can sympathise. It is not easy to see your child suffering.

But due to my own experience I think emergency departments do a good job and some of the blame lays elsewhere.

I did not expect a McDonald's drive-through service and was prepared for the wait. I watched as others with more urgent issues were prioritised ahead of me.

In my opinion, it's called an emergency department for a reason and should be used accordingly - not for twisted ankles.

The lack of after-hour medical services in our region needs to be addressed to lighten the load on hospitals that are left to pick up all the slack.

There are a handful of services in Tauranga but most are closed by 9pm. In Rotorua, Lakes Primecare shuts at the same time.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This is the problem.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

04 Jul 08:45 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'I'm proud of you': Sister's final message before fatal crash

04 Jul 06:03 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
All Blacks hold on, end France losing streak to open 2025
All Blacks

All Blacks hold on, end France losing streak to open 2025

05 Jul 09:19 AM
Lotto Powerball jackpots to $10m, two winners split $1m
New Zealand

Lotto Powerball jackpots to $10m, two winners split $1m

05 Jul 09:16 AM
Watch: Jet boat joy rides through swollen stream as severe weather batters parts of NZ
New Zealand

Watch: Jet boat joy rides through swollen stream as severe weather batters parts of NZ

05 Jul 08:41 AM
Person seriously injured falling from vehicle in Pokeno crash
Auckland

Person seriously injured falling from vehicle in Pokeno crash

05 Jul 08:16 AM
Recap: All Black beat France to begin 2025 campaign
All Blacks

Recap: All Black beat France to begin 2025 campaign

05 Jul 07:57 AM

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

04 Jul 08:45 PM

A family wanted to be left alone to develop their land without council interference.

'I'm proud of you': Sister's final message before fatal crash

'I'm proud of you': Sister's final message before fatal crash

04 Jul 06:03 PM
Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search