Nine To Noon

09:05 Health NZ review finds access to care getting worse

A long awaited report into the safety and quality of healthcare has found that overall access to care at both primary and hospital level has deteriorated. The report, ordered by outgoing health commissioner Lester Levy, also found an increase in death rates in patients who left a emergency department's without being seen. There was also worsening in the number of patients waiting more than four months for specialist treatment. Lester Levy says he wanted a transparent benchmark as a higher quality and more sustainable health system is built. However the report does not address safe staff ratios. Kathryn speaks to Virginia Mills,  Interim policy and research director for the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, and Paul Goulter the chief Executive of the NZ Nurses Organisation.

09:20 Auckland's new cemetery plans

It's the biggest cemetery in the country, but Auckland's Waikumete in the city's west is full - and new space is desperately needed. The Council stopped burials at Waikumete last July when rain made the ground too unstable. There are plans to expand it by 800 new plots, but that won't happen until 2027. The Council identified a block of land in rural north west Auckland at Reweti that could be developed as a new cemetery - and issued a notice of intent to acquire the land under the Public Works Act. But the landowner objected and the case is before the Environment Court. Taryn Crewe, Auckland Council's general manager of parks and community facilities, joins Kathryn.

09:30 What to do if you find an injured or sick bird

Many of us will have been in the position of finding a sick, injured or orphaned wild bird, and perhaps our first instinct is to find a cosy cardboard box and prepare some water-soaked bread. But that could be doing more harm than good. BirdCare Aotearoa is New Zealand's largest, Department of Conservation-permitted wild bird hospital. Each year, 6000 bird heroes bring their rescues to the charity. It is now on a mission to educate bird-lovers on what to do after finding a bird in trouble - and is holding a public workshop this weekend as part of EcoFest 2025. Birdcare Aotearoa spokesperson is Dr Rashi Parker.

09:45 Pacific correspondent Koroi Hawkins

Papua New Guinea has successfully tested a block on social media platforms - including Facebook. Australia has announced its $5 billion budget for overseas aid but what is in it for the Pacific nations, with the US pulling back from international aid.

10:05 Neurologist and author Suzanne O'Sullivan on the dangers of overdiagnosis

ADHD, Autism and long-Covid are now well-known medical terms, thanks to their rapid rise in cases in the past ten years. But have things gone too far with rates of diagnosis of many conditions, and in some cases, is it doing more harm than good? Suzanne O'Sullivan is a British based, Irish neurologist and award-winning author. In her latest book The Age of Diagnosis she says "overdiagnosis" is turning too many people into medical patients, while those with the greatest need, are becoming invisible. She gives examples such as a lowering of thresholds for people to be diagnosed with pre-diabetes, or hypertension. The broadening of screening programmes that many attribute to saving lives, she says, can also result in unnecessarily invasive treatments for some people. A key theme, is that this increased diagnosis has not always been accompanied by an increased ability to treat.  For some it helps, but for others it may limit their expectations for themselves. Another key theme, is that there is a medicalising of aspects of the human condition, that is inappropriate. Suzanne O'Sullivan is calling for new and better vocabularies for suffering, as well as to find ways of supporting people without medicalizing them.

10:30 Waka Ama champs wrap up at Lake Tikitapu

More than 2200 young people across 124 schools have been at the lake this week for the Waka Ama Secondary School Nationals. The event has seen a record number of paddlers this week and has had to run for five days. Waka Ama NZ CEO Lara Collins is lake side.

10:35 Book review: The Place of Tides by James Rebanks 

Kiran Dass reviews The Place of Tides by James Rebanks published by Penguin Press

10:45 Around the motu: Kelly Makiha in Rotorua 

Kelly updates Kathryn on the latest events in Rotorua including the mysterious death of 3-year-old Travis, the alleged attack of a food charity worker, a top police officer 'Murph' has died, and Rotorua celebrates Te Arawa’s Te Matatini groups.

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist with the Rotorua Daily Post.

11:05 Music reviewer Jeremy Taylor

Gorgeous new releases from pop queens Selena Gomez and Lucy Dacus, together with an obscure folk classic from 1971 from Shelagh McDonald finally reissued.

11:30 Sports commentator Dana Johannsen

Dana discusses Liam Lawson's future with Red Bull; the IOC has elected its first woman president, concerns over the plans for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

11:45 The week that was with Michele A'Court and Elisabeth Easther

Michele and Elisabeth have a chuckle over some of the funnier stories of the week that was including two British service members who stole a statue of the beloved British bear, Paddington.