Waitākere Hospital stroke patients left in wet beds amid staffing crisis

Patients recovering from strokes at one of New Zealand’s biggest wards are languishing in wet beds and being put at risk of falls because of “chronic understaffing”, according to nurses who spoke to the Herald. The letter, sent to HNZ chief executive Dr Dale Bramley and northern region deputy chief executive Mark Shepherd, and obtained by the Herald, says staff are struggling with burnout, patient safety is being compromised, and they need more staff. Two nurses, who spoke to the Herald in their capacity as delegates for the New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation (NZNO), said they felt HNZ’s response was “dismissive” and swept serious concerns of frontline workers “under the carpet”. Subscribe and be notified of breaking news: https://goo.gl/LP45jX Check out our playlists: https://goo.gl/Swd249 NZ Herald Facebook: https://goo.gl/tUC4oq NZ Herald Instagram: https://goo.gl/oLicXe NZ Herald Twitter: https://goo.gl/Wi6mbv