Health
Starship patients light up Sky Tower for Christmas
It's the second year SkyCity has handed the control over to the kids, who have a front seat view of the tower from their hospital beds. Audio
Morning Report Essentials for Thursday 18 December
The police union says frontline officers are being verbally abused and spat at in the wake of the Jevon McSkimming scandal; Firefighters are questioning a police decision not to send a helicopter to… Audio
Ministry of Health decides not to renew flu tracking contract
The Ministry of Health has decided not to renew its contract for the online FluTracking surveillance tool. Pretoria Gordon reports. Audio
Starship kids light up Sky Tower for Christmas
Children at Auckland's Starship Hospital have been given a rare chance to light up one of the city's most recognisable landmarks, the Sky Tower. Starship Foundation CEO Jo Simon spoke to Ingrid… Audio
Online flu tracking tool loses government funding
The Ministry of Health isn't renewing its contract for the country's online FluTracking surveillance tool. Epidemiologist Michael Baker, from Otago University's Department of Public Health, thinks… Audio
Coroner finds barriers to youth suicide prevention in Northland
A coroner has found there are ongoing and wide-ranging barriers for young people accessing suicide prevention services in Northland in the wake of a tragic suicide cluster. Amy Williams reports. A… Audio
Marae adds period care to Christmas parcels as costs bite
Kōkiri Marae has gifted about two and half thousand boxes of period products across three years.
Five abuse survivors unaware they were named online by MSD
Lawyers are working with the ministry over how to notify them and possible compensation for the privacy breach. Audio
Health NZ set 'efficiency targets' of $500m
The savings in back-office and procurement functions would be re-invested into patient care.
New case of measles in Queenstown
Number of known cases since the response began now at 32, with four still infectious.
Puberty blockers ban delayed by judicial review
The ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria in young people was due to come into effect this week.
Why 'Backyard Ultra' events are taking off in NZ
The concept of 'Last One Standing' or 'Backyard Ultra' events is simple but some might say, brutal. Participants run a 6.71km loop once an hour starting on the hour and they must complete the loop… Audio
Pharmac scraps plan to cull applications for medicines unlikely to get funding
The government drug-funding agency had put forward a plan to remove some low-ranked medicines on its list of medications that it would like to fund.
The difficulty of finding poo donors
Giving a donation is not a simple matter and finding people who meet the strict eligibility criteria can prove tricky. Audio
Wait times for rheumatologists continue to grow
Some rheumatologists are turning down about half the specialist referrals they receive from GPs in order to provide adequate treatment for their existing patients. Ruth Hill reports. Audio
Can you donate your poo in New Zealand?
Even if public enthusiasm was high, the demanding and stringent donor process means only a select few can help advance this unusual but promising therapy.
'Crunch point': Stretched rheumatologists decline half of referrals
Nelson-Marlborough and Northland are among the worst-affected areas in the country.
Report reveals Fiji's health workforce crisis
A new report says Fiji's health workforce is being hit hard by regional labour mobility schemes. Audio
Do you know what you're drinking?
Luis Arevalo fears his grandson will never be able to drink water straight from the tap. Audio
Feature interview: The Art of Sisu
The Danes have hygge, a cultural inclination to try to make things cosy. In Finland, they have a very different cultural trait called sisu, a quiet, inner strength drawn from surviving hardship. Dr… Audio
