A father is describing his daughter's 14 hour wait at the Tauranga Hospital Emergency Department as 'third world” and 'heart breaking”.

The man, who spoke to SunLive on the condition of anonymity, says patients were being treated in ambulances parked outside and in the children's playroom on Sunday.

He claims a hospital team leader also apologised 'in tears” to those waiting in the emergency department.

The man says he was told by staff they had been 'spat at” and 'had chairs thrown at them” by frustrated patients in recent weeks.

A different staff member also told him there were so many incidents happening at the hospital, they didn't have enough security to prevent outbursts from frustrated patients, the man claims.

'I felt like going up and giving them a hug to be honest. They were just so good to us and so apologetic. I kept telling them to not apologise, the issues had nothing to do with them.”

Patients treated in ambulances

Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty acting interim hospital and specialist services lead Sarah Mitchell says as with all facilities, there are 'physical limitations” in terms of waiting room and department capacity at the ED.

'During these times, the ED team works closely with St John to prioritise care to the most acute presentations. If the department reaches capacity, this can result in St John being requested to hold patients in the ambulance entrance area temporarily,” says Sarah.

'These patients are kept under the care and expert supervision of paramedic staff until they can be moved into the department. This process expands the ED capacity for short periods to allow processing of patients from the department.”

Sarah adds the playroom doubles a waiting area for paediatric patients, and in times of high demand, is sometimes used as an 'overflow room” from the main ED waiting area.

'What may have been witnessed is a nurse undertaking ongoing assessment of a patient or patients while they were in [the playroom].”

On the abuse the staff have reportedly been facing, Sarah says while the hospital understands people's frustration, she would like to reiterate that "staff are doing everything they can to provide care and treatment in as timely a manner as possible”.

'It is never acceptable to become verbally or physically abusive towards staff members who are there to help.

'Our Security team is on hand to deal with incidents of this nature and manage them alongside our Police colleagues when necessary.”

The man says it took his daughter "14.5 hours" until she was able to get a bed. Photo: Ministry of Health.

The 14.5 hour wait

Arriving at 4am on Sunday, the man took his 16-year-old daughter to hospital with stomach pain. His daughter did not receive a bed until 6.30pm the same day.

Her diagnosis required immediate care and a surgery shortly after.

'To get a diagnosis and see a doctor took us six hours.

'Seeing a radiologist took us another four hours, so we were waiting 10.5 hours for my daughter to get an ultrasound.

'To get a bed it took another four hours, so we were in there 14.5 hours total before she was able to get a bed.”

The man says he took turns with his wife, swapping in and out every three hours while waiting for his daughter to be seen.

'She was given pain killers and had to stay there the whole time."

The man says once his daughter received her bed, the staff were 'absolutely fantastic” despite the huge pressure they are facing.

'She was able to get the surgery she needed within about 16 hours. But the 14.5 hours of waiting in the emergency department with staff crying was just horrible.

'I saw it first hand and thought to myself, ‘this is not the country I grew up in.'”

Asked if the man has faith in the health system, he replied: 'No”.

'It's very frustrating to see it go downhill. As far as staffing and equipment, it feels third world. I really feel for the staff.”

Sarah says the hospital is currently experiencing a surge of winter illnesses, injury presentations, and admissions. Photo: File/SunLive.

Hospital says winter pressures to blame

Sarah says winter is a time of 'increased pressure” on the hospitals and emergency departments across the country.

'We are currently experiencing a surge of winter illness and injury presentations and admissions.

'All patients who present to our ED are triaged and we always prioritise care so that those who need it urgently are seen quicker than those with less serious illnesses. This means that some people with less serious conditions or injuries may need to wait for treatment.

'Unfortunately, during periods of high ED demand such as this, some patients who do not require urgent care may face prolonged wait times.”

Sarah says the hospital is grateful to the emergency department teams who do an 'outstanding job” looking after the community.

'We appreciate it can be distressing for people to spend extended periods of time in the Emergency Department waiting area, and regularly reassess and initiate treatment for those waiting there to ensure priority is given to those with the greatest clinical need,” says Sarah.

'We want to assure the public that anyone who needs urgent or emergency care will receive it and should come to ED without delay or call 111. Our ED remains open 24/7, 365 days a year, and we do not turn anyone away who is seeking medical help.

'We appreciate feedback and encourage anyone who has concerns about their health care journey to contact our team.

'Under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, patients also have the right to make a complaint through the Health and Disability Commissioner.”