Rowan Quinn

Te Whatu Ora says it has a plan to prevent hospitals getting clogged during flu season - it just hasn't released it in a single document yet.

Much more disruption is expected this week as half the country's doctors - about 2500 - walk off the job from 16 to 18 May.

The doctor said he was the only one on duty for "more than 50" patients the night an elderly man died, in a case criticised by the Health and Disability Commission.

The proposal shows Te Whatu Ora doesn't understand what general practitioners do, a spokesperson says. Audio

Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say.

Hospitals have contingency plans in place for the strike by about 2500 junior doctors across the country. Audio

"They should be condemned, the lot of them. They fault constantly," says the mother of preschooler Harper Cromie.

Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff.

The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to review costs.

A series of assaults and pleas by staff had led to the initial funding of guards.

Demand for private care will keep growing in the face of public waiting lists, an expert says.

By the time they finish years of training, many are finding there are few jobs around.

It is madness to have eight operating theatres sitting empty in the face of huge surgical wait lists, doctor says.

A building the size of a provincial hospital is sitting empty on Auckland's North Shore and has no opening date. Audio

Every available space is being used, including procedure and plastering rooms. Audio

Groups representing thousands of psychologists are rebelling against rule changes that many fear will make it even harder for patients to get help.

An immunologist says many might be waiting for the funded flu vaccine, which is available from Tuesday.

Doctors are calling for urgent access to a new immunisation to protect babies from the dangerous RSV virus.

A small marae-based GP clinic is going to the High Court to try to get its data back from a medical IT company.

Nearly 200 jobs are under threat from budget cuts - with some losses coming from redundancies and others from vacancies left unfilled.

More than half of all lung cancers are not diagnosed until after an emergency department visit - when it is often too late, a new report by the Cancer Control Agency shows.

Approval for the changes has been granted by Pharmac.

Te Whatu Ora/Health NZ is slashing the number of communication staff it employs - but there will still be 125 of them.

The doctors - who often treat people with chest injuries caused by air rifles - are calling for tighter restrictions on their sale.

The Health Minister says Health NZ can reprioritise funds now the extra money given as part of the governments 100 day plan has come to an end.