Nurse says corridor caring began on day one of new Taranaki ED
A nurse working in the Emergency Department at Taranaki Base Hospital has told RNZ that corridor caring, where patients are treated in hallways rather than in treatment spaces, began on the first day the new department was in use. The nurse spoke on condition of anonymity. The nurse said staff had been told there would be no corridor caring in the new building.
The new East Wing opened in late June. Its Emergency Department has 32 treatment spaces, compared with 26 in the previous department. It also has additional resuscitation spaces and dedicated fast-track treatment areas. A government media release marking the opening described the department as significantly expanded, with around double the current capacity. A Beehive release dated 25 June had said the wing would open to patients on the Monday that followed.
RNZ reported that between 1 July and 28 October 2026, the new department recorded 107 red alerts and 170 amber alerts. In the same period in 2025, the old department recorded 94 red alerts and 145 amber alerts. These alerts are triggered by occupancy, meaning how full the department is relative to its capacity. A red alert indicates occupancy greater than 135 percent during the day and 114 percent overnight. An amber alert is triggered at greater than 108 percent.
Health NZ said the Acute Assessment Unit in the new wing will not be fully operational until May 2027. It also said the department's waiting room has seating for 34 people.
The redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital cost $462 million, according to RNZ. The East Wing building is six storeys and 20,000 square metres. In 2025 the government announced a $59 million funding boost to support its delivery.
The issue of corridor care is not confined to Taranaki. In October, the Health and Disability Commissioner said that diagnosing patients in emergency department corridors could breach the Health and Disability Code. On 30 September, 1News reported on a report finding that New Zealand's emergency departments were in "crisis". The report found that departments across the country were dealing with rising patient numbers and more seriously unwell people needing hospital care.
