Quarterly progress tracking shows Te Manawataki \u2013 the health region Tauranga is part of \u2013 at 62.1% at the end of 2025.<\/p>\n
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists member and Tauranga Hospital respiratory and general physician Dr Suzanne Poole.<\/p>\n
Poole said physicians were told \u201clongest-wait patients\u201d must be seen in additional clinics.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo even though we as clinicians know that there are people that need seeing sooner, we\u2019re having to see the people that have waited longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her view: \u201cPeople are coming to harm, I mean, that\u2019s the reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was also concerned about the timing, this being an election year.<\/p>\n
Poole had no doubt all patients needed to be seen, but preferred the funding be used to see urgent patients first and continue from there.<\/p>\n
Health NZ\u2019s initial denial <\/p>\n
The Bay of Plenty Times put Poole\u2019s concerns to Health NZ in March.<\/p>\n
Health NZ Bay of Plenty chief medical officer Dr Kate Grimwade said all patients were prioritised based on clinical need, and those with the greatest were seen first.<\/p>\n
Once clinical priority had been considered, patients were generally scheduled by wait time.<\/p>\n
Grimwade said this recognised that patients on a waitlist for a long time were also of clinical concern. Their conditions may be progressing or they may have spent extended periods without specialist management, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAddressing these long waits is therefore an important focus alongside, but not at the cost of, urgent clinical need.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grimwade said Health NZ introduced additional clinics at Tauranga Hospital over the past year to help reduce wait times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been no directive that overrides clinical prioritisation \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
In April, ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton said several members raised concerns in February that their clinical decisions on allocating first specialist appointments were being \u201coverridden by managers\u201d.<\/p>\n
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton. <\/p>\n
She said sicker patients should be seen before longer-waiting patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that standard of care is being overridden in our public health system due to a fixation on targets, that\u2019s a real problem because that\u2019s putting politics over patient need.\u201d<\/p>\n
In response, Health NZ referred back to Grimwade\u2019s prior statement.<\/p>\n
The Bay of Plenty Times contacted Health NZ again this week after receiving Turner\u2019s email, in response to an Official Information Act request.<\/p>\n
Grimwade said Health NZ took patient safety and equitable access to care very seriously and clinical need remained the \u201cprimary factor\u201d for prioritising patients for assessment and treatment.<\/p>\n
Grimwade said the email related specifically to managing additional clinics established to address long wait times for first specialist assessments.<\/p>\n
The aim was to \u201cimprove consistency in how long-wait patients are seen\u201d and ensure those waiting the longest were appropriately prioritised.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis does not override clinical judgement or prioritisation based on clinical need and clinicians have continued to schedule additional clinics where necessary to see patients urgently or manage time-sensitive treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe acknowledge that the wording of the email may not have clearly conveyed this distinction, and we recognise how this may have led to some confusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, the intent was to standardise an approach to a particular group of long-wait patients, not to change the wider approach to clinical prioritisation.\u201d<\/p>\n