Why ambulance patients are waiting hours outside NZ emergency departments

On Monday, patients arriving by ambulance at Palmerston North Hospital faced waits of more than two hours just to get into the emergency department. The delays, driven by surging winter demand, are not isolated to one hospital. They are a symptom of a system under strain across New Zealand, and they raise urgent questions about how we care for people when every minute counts.

St John Ambulance confirmed the delays, saying its crews are continuing to treat and monitor patients until care can be safely handed over. But the reality is that paramedics are stuck outside hospitals, unable to respond to the next emergency call.

What is causing these ambulance delays?

Mark Quin, national secret