Ruth Hill
Don't bother referring patients, hospital tells GPs
Wellington Hospital's women's health service is under so much pressure it's told GPs to stop referring patients unless they suspect cancer or something equally urgent.
Specialists and family doctors… Audio
Commuter crush in Wellington with Hutt train line out of action
There's a commuter crush in Wellington, with the Hutt train line out of action. Our reporter Ruth Hill is at the main station and joins Lisa Owen. Audio
Is Covid damaging our immune systems?
Covid infections are putting people at higher risk of diabetes, strokes, heart disease and other long-term illnesses - but experts warn it may be decades before the full impact is known.
Meanwhile… Audio
OT staffer charged over offences against young people
One person has been arrested and charged over indecent offences against four young people at an Oranga Tamariki residence earlier this year.
It follows an investigation that began in June, when… Audio
Swine flu and other bugs back in Covid's wake
It's been another tough winter for colds and flu, with GPs over-run, packed emergency departments and tens of thousands of people seeking help from pharmacies.
While Covid cases were down, doctors… Audio
Senior doctors and dentists walk off the job for the first time
Senior doctors and dentists have walked off the job en masse today, for the first time ever, over their deadlocked pay negotiations. Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand says about 250 planned care… Audio
Reporter at picket line
Our health reporter Ruth Hill is at the picket line at Wellington Regional Hospital and is with us now. Audio
Too many hurdles to register in NZ say "Uber" doctors
Doctors from India who have no option but to work in call centres and drive Ubers are calling for more help from the Government to get registered in New Zealand.
The Medical Council has recently… Audio
9/10 family doctors fear for their financial future
General practices are ailing, if not terminally ill in some cases. Nearly 90 percent of family doctors are under major financial pressure, with a third actually losing money in the last year. That's… Audio
Critical services on life-support after years of laissez-faire training
Acute shortages of trainee specialists are fuelling burnout among senior hospital doctors, whose own ranks are thinning.
After decades of an ad hoc approach to critical workforce training - and a… Audio
Report blames funding for decline GP work hours and staff
A new report is blaming "accountability-free" General Practice funding for the decline in GP work hours, and a significant decrease in the GP-to-population ratio.
The study is co-authored by two… Audio
Warning latest pay deal could increase gap between hospital and general practice nurses
Nurses warn the latest pay deal covering 35,000 hospital nurses and midwives has turned the pay gap with general practice nurses into a chasm and patients will suffer.
They say it's not even that… Audio
Children missing out on surgery at 'optimal age'
The number of sick and disabled children waiting longer than four months for assessment or treatment has blown out by more than 600 percent in the last year.
Paediatric specialists warn wait times… Audio
Speech-language therapy course "unsustainable" says Massey
Families of children with speech and language problems fear cuts by Massey University will add to the critical shortage of therapists.
The university - which reported an $8.8 million dollar deficit… Audio
Winter illnesses hit kids hardest
Severe acute hospitalisations for babies and young children in Auckland spiked in mid-July, as they were hit hard by flu, RSV and other respiratory viruses.
Doctors fear some will suffer long-term… Audio
Burnout and financial stress: high drop-outs for midwifery
A midwifery student says she was horrified at how much responsibility she was expected to take on, as trainees are used to plug the profession's 40 percent workforce shortage.
With more than four out… Audio
Patients waiting months for specialist appointments
One in three patients referred for specialist appointments have been waiting more than four months, according to Te Whatu Ora's latest data.
However, GPs warn many people aren't even being counted.
… Audio
IT outage at Wellington hospitals affects hundreds of patients
A major computer outage at Wellington and Wairarapa hospitals since four o'clock this morning has forced the cancellation and delay of many appointments and procedures.
Te Whatu Ora says outpatient… Audio
Mike Bush called in to help after OT allegations
The former Police Commissioner, Mike Bush, will this week take over leadership of all Youth Justice and Care and Protection residences, following two serious allegations of Oranga Tamariki staff… Audio
Thousands of homes could become uninsurable - expert
An expert on landslides and natural hazards warns thousands more New Zealand homes may become uninsurable in the near future. But quantifying risk from natural hazards is a fraught business -… Audio