Second patient dies in Waikato Hospital toilet in two months

A second patient has been found dead inside a toilet at Waikato Hospital, less than two months after another man died in a toilet in the hospital’s emergency department.

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora has confirmed the latest death, which occurred on August 19, and said a review into the circumstances is underway.

The NZ Herald reported the case involved a man in his 60s who had been missing for up to five hours before he was found dead in a toilet across the hallway from his room on a surgical ward.

Police said they were notified about the death at around 12.20 pm on August 19. The death was not considered suspicious and has been referred to the Coroner.

Dr Gary Hopgood, acting Group Director of Operations for Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora’s Waikato district, confirmed the patient “passed away unexpectedly in the bathroom on a surgical ward at Waikato Hospital”, as quoted by Stuff.

Hopgood said the ward was fully staffed when the incident occurred and expressed condolences to the man’s family.

He said their “deepest sympathies are with the patient’s family”.

“Whenever an unexpected death occurs in hospital, a review is initiated to establish the circumstances, and this event has triggered such a review. We are not able to provide further details ahead of the completion of that process,” Hopgood added, Stuff has quoted.

Previous death under review

The latest incident comes less than two months after Brent Horsburgh was found dead in a toilet in Waikato Hospital’s emergency department.

According to Stuff, Horsburgh was reportedly found unresponsive in a waiting-room toilet during the early hours of June 30.

Health NZ subsequently completed an initial clinical review and concluded that additional monitoring would not have changed the outcome.

A Serious Adverse Event Review into Horsburgh’s death was expected to be completed last month, as reported by Stuff.

Following his death, Horsburgh’s family said they were trying to understand what had happened.

“Many questions remain unanswered, and we will seek those answers through Health New Zealand's investigation,” they said, Stuff has quoted.

Health New Zealand has not provided further details about the latest death while its review remains ongoing.