The rise of Omicron will see hundreds of Aucklanders miss out on planned hospital operations as staffing shortages bite.
Doctors warn there'll be delays soon in other cities, but the Health Minister is adamant the system will cope.
Omicron hasn't peaked yet, but hospitals are bracing for it with hundreds of planned surgeries called off at Auckland City and nearby Greenlane over the coming weeks.
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says the disruption was inevitable.
"There has been an underlying very serious staffing shortage," NZNO acting professional services manager Kate Weston says.
Auckland DHB says there are a number of factors behind the decision to cut surgeries and other procedures back.
High numbers of COVID-19 patients will be in hospital and an increasing number of the workforce off work due to the virus.
"For those who are left on the ground, it does put extreme pressure on people to be able to provide services to keep the public safe," Weston says.
Senior doctors have been warning about the impact of Omicron on hospital workers.
"We have massive stresses on our medical workforce who we represent but also wider staffing so it doesn't take much to upset the apple cart," Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton says.
The association has heard hospitals outside of Auckland are also starting to delay services.
"It's really ugly out there at the moment, it's going to continue to be really ugly out there," Dalton says.
"There are going to be people who need care and may miss out on it depending on how that goes."
But with COVID cases in hospital rising sharply over the past two weeks, from just 14 two weeks ago to 116 on Monday and 143 on Tuesday, the Health Minister says DHBs are in preparation mode.
"We are going to need more hospital beds and hospitals are managing to make sure those beds are available to people who need that level of care," Andrew Little says.
He's confident hospitals are in a good position, despite long-standing staff shortages.
"Pandemics are disruptive and they do cause inconvenience and it does mean planned care gets pushed out," Little says.
Because Omicron is the type of foe that demands all your focus.
