Dozens of other readers shared their concerning and often sad stories about waiting in ED — in severe pain from kidney stones, with blood clots in their lungs or elderly parents having strokes — with the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
Most said their treatment after the agonising wait was excellent.
The government has set targets for 95% of people to be admitted, discharged and transferred from a hospital ED within six hours by 2030, but present indications are that EDs are nowhere near that figure.
The ODT asked readers to share their experiences after information supplied to the Labour Party showed Dunedin Hospital ED wait-time results were the poorest in the country in three of seven days in August, with only 35.9% to 48.4% of patients processed within six hours.
Christchurch Hospital had better results but still fell below the 2024-25 milestone target with a range of 57%-73.8%.
A Balclutha woman said she waited with her seriously ill, vomiting daughter in the waiting room at Dunedin Hospital’s ED for 10 hours before she was given a bed in the drafty, cold corridor near where ambulances brought in patients.
A doctor did not see her daughter until five hours later, at 7am, which was 15 hours after they arrived at ED.
She had to search for Panadol for her daughter because a nurse never came back two hours after saying she was going to get it. Her daughter then spent several days in hospital before being able to go home.
Sally Ealson, of Dunedin, said she and her daughter had to wait up to eight hours in the waiting room.
"A few people left as they didn’t want to wait. But realistically, most that go there could have been helped by Dunedin Urgent Doctors & Accident Centre, but sadly it comes down to money."
She was not surprised that resources at the ED were stretched, Ms Ealson said.
"I am a nurse and I saw how busy they were. I wanted to help but, of course, I can’t. It was not pleasant waiting almost eight hours, but it can’t be helped. The staff there were amazing."
Kasey DeManser said she was involved in a terrifying situation at the ED with her mother about a fortnight ago.
"It was 10 hours before we were seen by a doctor. My 84-year-old mum was there with face droop and words slurring. It was a suspected stroke.
"To be clear, the nurses were marvellous and did monitor her blood pressure the entire time, but it was stressful.
"They are understaffed and under immense pressure in there."
Hayden Johnson, who had kidney stones, said he waited over eight hours in July. The ED waiting room was so full he said he had to sit outside in the smokers’ area, then by the vending machines and then in the waiting room where he sat on a spare wheelchair.
Kathleen Gardner said she and her husband spent a total of 25 hours in ED over a couple of days. Her husband had a swollen leg and possible blood clot, but the treatment was "excellent".
