NZ's Broken Emergency Departments: How Did It Get This Bad?

Brent Horsburgh went to the emergency department in pain. Nine hours and 18 minutes later — before he'd been seen by a doctor — the 54-year-old father of five was found unresponsive in an ED toilet. He couldn't be revived. Paddy Gower and investigative journalist Paula Penfold examine what's going wrong inside New Zealand's emergency departments. Brent's family speak publicly for the first time, calling for change. In Taranaki, Vicky Collett shares the story of her husband Len, whose 2020 death after a fall in an overcrowded ED was later ruled by a coroner as "foreseeable and preventable" — with a warning that, without proper staffing, it could happen again. The team hears from doctors and nurses across the country describing EDs running well beyond capacity, patients waiting many hours to be seen, and staff stretched to breaking point. Health NZ's Dr Richard Sullivan responds and apologises to Brent's family for the wait, and Paddy asks every political party for one idea to ease the pressure. Watch the full investigation on Paddy Gower Has Issues, streaming free on ThreeNow. Made with the support of NZ On Air.