Earl Stevens says staff were overwhelmed as dozens waited in Waikato Hospital’s ED.
PremiumHome / New ZealandMichael MorrahSenior investigative reporter·NZ Herald·1 Jul, 2026 05:00 PM6 mins to readEarl Stevens says he waited 10.5 hours in the waiting room.A witness at Waikato Hospital’s emergency department on the night a man died believes the “shocking” scenes reflected a system where under-resourced staff were “set up to fail”.
Earl Stevens, who was at the ED with atrial fibrillation, told the Herald he waited about 10 and a half hours to
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Witnesses said the man waited nine to 10 hours before he collapsed in the toilet.
Staff earlier reported 301 ED arrivals on June 8, the busiest day in a year.
The Herald revealed the man waited nine hours before collapsing in the ED toilet.
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Official data shows ED staff rose nationally but fell in several key districts.
