Doctors believe a major Auckland hospital has been seriously neglected for eight years.
Thirteen heads of department at Middlemore Hospital penned a letter to Minister of Health David Clark outlining a number of issues facing the facility.
The letter, released under the Official Information Act to NZME, said cancer patients were facing delays because of staffing shortages and the hospital was exceeding bed capacity on a daily basis.
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The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell says the Government needs to act now.
"The Minister of Health is not responsible for the situation," Mr Powell told Newshub. "It is a situation that is inherited. But he has to take responsibility for it about resolving it.
"There's been a serious neglect over the last eight years or so of the resourcing of our public hospitals. What we're seeing at Middlemore is actually happening at many other hospitals as well."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says this year's Budget has set aside $750 million to address some of the issues, and "some of that should go to extra bed space".
"We're waiting for District Health Boards to put forward their recommendations about how that will apply. But as I say, I recognise the need is absolutely there."
Ms Ardern noted the funding has had a significant boost, compared to last year's Budget of $150 million.
Newshub.
