Winter illness is causing strain at Whanganui Accident and Medical with staff falling ill and more patients flocking to the service. Whanganui Regional Health Network chief executive Judith MacDonald said the health system was under pressure as Whanganui Hospital’s emergency department faced longer waiting times and GPs were overwhelmed. Whanganui Accident and Medical - which is a primary care service run separately from the hospital - had been seeing a lot of patients with respiratory infections, Covid-19, and flu viruses.
“It is taking down the workforce and obviously it is rife in the community,” MacDonald said. “We have a system that’s heaving from winter illnesses.”.