1 Apr 2021

Waitematā DHB to start surgery on weekends to keep up with demand

From Morning Report, 7:09 am on 1 April 2021

The country's biggest District Health Board can't cope with the demand for elective surgery and has decided to do operations on the weekend in a bid to keep up.

Operations are regularly being called off at Waitematā's North Shore and Waitakere hospitals and at its elective surgery centre because of a shortage of nurses.

It's another example of a whole health system under strain.

Health Correspondent Rowan Quinn reports.