• The Herald understands a hospital patient request to avoid staff of Asian ethnicity was initially acceded to, causing distress amongst workers. 
• Health New Zealand is refusing to release information about the situation, or comment on specifics, citing patient privacy. 
• A health union says its members contacted it about the incident at North Shore Hospital, and is critical of how Health NZ has responded. 

A patient at a major hospital asked not to receive care from anyone of Asian ethnicity - a request that was initially granted, which distressed staff. 

Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora is refusing to release information on what happened and the fallout, citing the patient’s privacy. 

However, a major health union has confirmed it is aware of the incident at North Shore Hospital, after contact from its members. 

“From what I have seen, the way the hospital chose to manage it was unsupportive of staff, and not culturally safe. I don’t believe Te Whatu Ora acted as a good employer in the way it chose to manage this issue,” said Sarah Dalton, executive director of the doctors and dentists union the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). 

“And based on what has happened since, we don’t believe management responded well. And it would also seem they have tried to prevent our members from talking to us about the issue, and that’s a massive concern to us.” 

The request came from a patient at North Shore Hospital, the Herald understands. Photo / Dean Purcell 

An Official Information Act request by the Herald for associated communications and briefings was refused by Health NZ, because “to release any information would lead to the identification of the person and their circumstances”. 

Health NZ’s media team also declined to comment on the specifics of what happened, but noted it “has an obligation to provide care to all New Zealanders under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights.” 

“We regularly manage patients who have varied and complex needs and have processes in place to ensure our staff are safe and patients get the care they need. This includes developing, executing, and monitoring individual behaviour management plans for some patients. 

“We have robust escalation protocols in place for staff to raise any concerns they may have about their safety. 

“Our kaimahi [staff] deserve to be able to come to work and to do their jobs safely, without fear of aggression, violence, or racism. We are committed to ensuring that we provide an environment where our people feel safe, valued, and respected. 

“We respect our staffs’ right to engage with their union or professional body.” 

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton. Photo / RNZ 

Dalton, of ASMS, didn’t want to comment on details involving the patient, but was critical of Health NZ for not having any apparent protocols or procedures in place for responding to such a request. 

The code of consumers’ rights states that, “Every consumer has the right to express a preference as to who will provide services and have that preference met where practicable”. 

However, any situation that involved someone asking not to be treated by staff based only on their ethnicity was clearly not practicable nor appropriate, Dalton said. 

Mat Danaher, the E tū union director responsible for hospitals and care, was unaware of the situation but said, if true, it would be very disappointing. 

“We believe Te Whatu Ora has a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for its staff, and that pandering to racism cannot play a part in that. Instead the organisation needs to educate patients on the important role all staff, irrespective of origin, play in delivering care.” 

Nicholas Jones is an investigative reporter at the Herald. He was a finalist for Reporter of the Year at the 2024 Voyager Media Awards, and has won numerous national media awards for his reporting and feature writing.