NZ Herald reports that “Nearly half a million Kiwis are believed to be receiving hospital care below the national standard due to a staggering backlog of planned care.
Thousands of patients in Auckland are waiting longer than the Ministry of Health’s required four-month timeframe for specialist appointments and treatment, District Health Board (DHB) data from June and July shows.
The growing “unacceptable” wait times across the country are sparking fears that patients are being put at further risk, and the problem has become significantly worse due to Covid-19.”