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Flu-related hospitalisations in Auckland double in space of a week
Auckland is experiencing its worst week for flu-related hospitalisations in a decade, with rates at a 10-year high and national infection rates at a four-year high. Health officials say the entire system is under pressure, while nurses at North Shore Hospital describe 'feral' conditions in the emergency department.
Auckland Flu Surge Strains Hospitals and Health Services
Auckland is in the grip of its worst week for flu-related hospitalisations in a decade, with health officials warning the entire system is under significant pressure. Flu-related hospitalisations in the region have hit a 10-year high, and national infection rates are at a four-year high, according to Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley.
Bramley told Nine to Noon the hospital system was "very, very busy," but the pressure extended across the whole health system, including Healthline, primary care, St John, and emergency departments. A national coordination centre has been set up to divert staff and resources to where they are needed most, he said, but the task has been complicated by a 27% increase in Health NZ staff off sick in the past week.
The spike is driven by influenza A, along with cases of RSV, cold viruses, and some Covid-19. Bramley said he had visited three emergency departments this week and described the circumstances as "quite difficult."
Health authorities have activated the Winter Plan, with more telehealth services, work with urgent care clinics, and a small percentage of elective procedures being cancelled. About 1500 people have been redirected from emergency departments to urgent care. There are extra hospital beds and 264 additional staff in place, with 64 doing extra duties, Bramley said.
However, some Auckland health workers spoken to by RNZ said they had seen little evidence of extra beds or staff. Urgent care clinics in Auckland have reported waits of 10 hours or more, and some have not been able to open. Delays in rapid-build wards promised by the government in November have also been reported, with Middlemore, Wellington, and Waikato delayed to next year, Hawke's Bay due to open next month, and Nelson in November.
North Shore ED Nurses Describe 'Feral' Conditions
At North Shore Hospital, 120 nurses have written to Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley, saying the emergency department is in its own state of emergency. Charge nurse Jean Classey described the ED as "feral" and "an absolute nightmare," with patients crammed into corridors and brightly lit public spaces with no privacy. She said incontinent patients were sometimes waiting in wet beds until nurses could find a space to change them.
The nurses' letter said Health NZ failed to plan properly for winter and had not hired the agreed number of nurses. It outlined problems including 90-minute triage waits, heart scans taking hours, patients waiting more than 50 hours for a bed, missed medications, soiled beds, and the department at 300% capacity at times.
Health NZ confirmed the emergency departments at North Shore and Waitakere Hospitals were having their busiest ever winter, with nearly 14,000 patients through the doors in July. It said its winter plan was helping.
Nurse Sharon Franklin-Smith said she had seen a line of grey heads – people in their 80s or 90s – being cared for in the corridor, lacking dignity and respect. Jean Moor, a nurse for 35 years, said it was the worst she had seen it.
Health NZ announced it had started recruiting 50 new nurses for North Shore and Waitakere, with nine for the North Shore ED. Brad Healey, group director of operations, said a central team of 10 nurses and 14 health care assistants would be dispatched where needed, and he called staff "amazing." But the North Shore ED nurses said nine new nurses was not enough.
Bramley said seriously ill people should always go to an emergency department where they will get priority care. Health NZ did not respond to RNZ's request about the letter's detailed claims.
Healthline Reinforcements and Call Surge
Healthline has called in reinforcements to cope with a deluge of calls amid the flu outbreak. Brian O'Connell, chief operating officer of Wakarongorau Aotearoa, which operates Healthline, said the service was handling about 20% more calls in the past seven days compared to July, with calls up from about 1000 to 1200-1300 a day. Healthline increased resourcing by 10%, with about 25 nurses and paramedics on at any time and a current wait time of 10 minutes.
O'Connell said out of every five callers, only one would be diverted to hospital or 111. About 30% of calls were for children under 5, and Plunket was taking an extra 200 calls a day to help with demand.
University of Otago professor Dr Michael Baker said more needed to be done sooner, including stronger advice about masks. He said at this stage it was too late to change the trajectory, but a graded response and continuing vaccination would help. Baker also noted New Zealand did not have a graded system to communicate respiratory risk in the community.
Flu Data and Expert Analysis
Auckland had 177 people admitted to four hospitals with severe acute respiratory illness from 9 to 16 August, up from 125 the week before – the highest weekly rate since 2015, according to PHF Science. Dr Hannah Cooper, a public health physician at PHF Science, said it was not a worse flu than usual but there was more of it around, and the combination of flu with RSV and rhinovirus had tipped the system into a very high level of illness.
For the week ending 9 August, the flu hospitalisation rate in Auckland was 3.781 per 100,000, up from 1.574 the week before – still within the normal range for peak season. Cooper attributed the spread to cold weather and a late season, and said the vaccine was a very good match for circulating viruses.
Professor Michael Plank said influenza rates had "rocketed," approaching the highest levels in four years, with a possibility the outbreak could exceed the 2022 peak.
Calls for a National Risk Warning System
Waatea News reported that the surge has prompted questions about whether New Zealand needs a simple national warning system for respiratory infection risk. Professor Michael Baker said the surge is well documented across multiple surveillance systems and is adding substantial pressure to already stretched services. He argued for a clearer, nationally recognised way of communicating risk, noting that Māori and Pacific people over 55, along with young children and those with underlying conditions, are at increased risk.
Baker also highlighted that hospital surveillance from 2025 showed Māori and Pacific peoples were around twice as likely to be hospitalised with influenza. He said it was still not too late to get vaccinated, and the vaccine appears well matched to circulating strains.
How each outlet told it
1News
Framing: Headline emphasizes 'biggest flu outbreak in 10 years' and system pressure, focusing on Healthline reinforcements. — concerned - uses 'deluge' and 'under pressure', calls for action from experts.
Facts Included:
Healthline called in reinforcements due to biggest flu outbreak in years.
Flu hospitalisations at 10-year high in Auckland, national infection rates at four-year high.
Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley said entire health system under pressure, driven by influenza A, RSV, cold viruses, and some Covid-19.
Wakarongorau Aotearoa COO Brian O'Connell reported 20% more calls in past seven days compared to July.
Normal day 1000 calls, now 1200-1300 a day.
Healthline increased resourcing by 10%: 25 nurses and paramedics on, wait time 10 minutes.
One in five callers diverted to hospital or 111.
30% of calls for children under 5.
Plunket taking extra 200 calls a day.
University of Otago professor Dr Michael Baker said more needed to be done sooner, including masks.
Baker said at this stage it's too late to change trajectory.
Baker suggested graded response and continuing vaccination.
Baker noted seasonal infections May to October, need better ramp up of control measures, employers discourage sick workers.
Additional RAT tests available.
Baker said no graded system for communicating respiratory risk in NZ.
Framing: Headline mirrors RNZ's: 'Nurses say North Shore ED 'feral', patients left in soiled beds' - same angle. — alarmed - uses 'feral', 'nightmare', and adds 'recruitment go-slow' to implicate Health NZ.
Facts Included:
Same as RNZ 085d article, but includes additional:
Bramley said last week seriously ill people should still go to ED.
Nurses said nine new nurses was not enough.
Health NZ had earlier agreed to 25 but had only hired nine, as part of a recruitment go-slow.
Department needed even more to cope.
Health NZ did not respond to RNZ's request about the letters' detailed claims.
Also includes the 50 nurse recruitment and Healey statement.
Framing: Headline focuses on patients left in soiled beds, similar to RNZ 085d but without the 'absolute nightmare' quote. — alarmed - uses 'feral', 'nightmare', 'soiled beds', and notes 'recruitment go-slow'.
Facts Included:
Patients waiting in soiled beds at North Shore Hospital ED.
Nurses call conditions 'feral'.
120 nurses wrote to Health NZ CE Dale Bramley.
Letter said Health NZ failed to plan properly and hadn't hired agreed nurses.
Charge nurse Jean Classey quotes.
Incontinent patients in wet beds.
Health NZ winter plan helping, but busiest ever winter with nearly 14,000 patients in July.
Framing: Headline emphasizes patient suffering in soiled beds, using direct quote 'Absolute nightmare'. It leaves out the nurses' letter and system planning failures. — alarmed - uses 'feral' and 'nightmare' from nurses, but balanced with Health NZ's response.
Facts Included:
Nurses at North Shore Hospital wrote to Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley, saying the ED is in its own state of emergency.
120 nurses signed the letter.
Health NZ failed to plan properly for winter and had not hired the agreed number of nurses.
Charge nurse Jean Classey described the ED as 'feral' and 'an absolute nightmare.'
Incontinent patients were waiting in wet beds.
Health NZ said winter plan was helping, but EDs at North Shore and Waitakere had busiest ever winter with nearly 14,000 patients in July.
Letter said crisis was 'entirely predictable' and Health NZ failed to adequately plan.
Problems included: 90-minute triage waits, heart scans taking hours, 50-hour ED waits for beds, missed medications, soiled beds, 300% capacity.
Health NZ had agreed to hire 25 nurses but only nine had come.
Nurses Sharon Franklin-Smith and Jean Moor quoted.
Health NZ announced recruitment of 50 new nurses for North Shore and Waitakere, nine for the ED.
Brad Healey statement about central team of 10 nurses and 14 health care assistants.
Healey said winter plan helped and demand higher than previous years.
Healey called staff 'amazing' and hoped recruitment would ease load.
Framing: Headline focuses on 'worst week for flu-related hospitalisations in 10 years', a statistical record frame. — analytical - uses 'rocketed' but balances with vaccine effectiveness and advice.
Facts Included:
Auckland had worst week for flu hospitalisations in a decade, with 177 SARI admissions from 9-16 August, up from 125.
PHF Science said highest weekly rate since 2015.
Dr Hannah Cooper said not a worse flu, but more of it around.
Cooper noted spike in activity but within normal range for peak season.
SARI surveillance based on fever, so could undercount.
What's different: lots of RSV and rhinovirus, combination tipped to very high level.
Healthline calls increased, higher than 2023, 2024, 2025.
Majority of calls from Central region.
Palmerston North patients waiting more than 17 hours in ED.
Hawke's Bay asking one support person due to winter illnesses.
Zero to 4 years and 65+ highest hospitalisation rates; babies/toddlers most common in ICU in 2026.
Influenza A H3N2 (Subclade K strain) prevalent, caused bad outbreak in Europe.
Vaccine updated to match Subclade K, labs show good match.
Nearly 6000 vaccinated in past week, 5328 in early August, 7076 week before.
Professor Michael Plank said rates 'rocketed', last high in 2022, possible to exceed 2022 peak.
Framing: Headline emphasizes doubling of hospitalisations in a week, suggesting rapid escalation. — measured - uses 'spike' but notes 'normal range'; includes frontline perspectives.
Facts Included:
Flu-related hospitalisations in Auckland doubled in a week.
Dr Hannah Cooper from PHF Science said cases climbed sharply.
Rate 3.781 per 100,000 for week ending 9 August, up from 1.574.
Still within normal range for peak season.
Cold weather spreads flu more easily.
Last year's season was late, pushing 2026 season later, with immunity from last year.
Public awareness of strains rising due to pharmacy tests.
Vaccine is very good match.
St John declared a 'major incident' last week after spike in demand.
Wellington had busiest day in over a year.
Nurses Organisation delegate Ryan O'Connell from Wellington ED said over 200 patients per 24-hour period for 3-4 days.
O'Connell described harsh on morale, waiting room filling up.
Framing: Headline emphasizes 'entire health system under pressure' from big flu outbreak, quoting health boss. — concerned - uses 'under pressure', 'very, very busy', and highlights staff sickness and delays.
Facts Included:
Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley said entire health system under pressure from biggest flu outbreak in years.
Flu-related hospitalisations at 10-year high in Auckland, national rates at four-year high.
Bramley told Nine to Noon hospital system 'very, very busy'.
National coordination centre set up this week diverting staff and resources.
27% increase in Health NZ staff off sick in past week.
Influenza A driving spike, plus RSV, cold viruses, Covid-19.
Bramley visited three EDs this week.
Winter Plan in action, more telehealth, working with urgent care clinics, cancelling some elective procedures.
About 1500 people redirected from ED to urgent care.
Extra hospital beds and 264 extra staff, 64 doing additional duties.
Some Auckland health workers saw little evidence of extra beds/staff.
Urgent care clinics have waits of 10 hours or more, some not able to open.
Delay in rapid-build wards promised by government in November, Middlemore, Wellington, Waikato to next year, Hawke's Bay next month, Nelson in November.
Framing: Headline focuses on Healthline reinforcements and big flu outbreak, similar to 1News 377b8a08 but without the 'entire health system' angle. — concerned - uses 'deluge' and 'under pressure', experts call for action.
Facts Included:
Healthline called in reinforcements due to biggest flu outbreak in years.
Flu hospitalisations 10-year high in Auckland, infection rates four-year high.
Bramley said entire system under pressure, driven by influenza A, RSV, cold viruses, Covid-19.
Brian O'Connell of Wakarongorau Aotearoa reported 20% more calls in past seven days compared to July.
Normal day 1000 calls, now 1200-1300 a day.
Healthline increased resourcing by 10%: 25 nurses and paramedics on, 10-minute wait.
One in five diverted to hospital or 111.
30% of calls for children under 5.
Plunket taking extra 200 calls a day.
Michael Baker said more needed to be done sooner, including masks.
Baker said at this stage it's too late to change trajectory.
Baker suggested graded response, vaccination, ramp up control measures, employers discourage sick workers.
Additional RAT tests available.
Baker noted no graded system for communicating respiratory risk.
Baker said evidence from Covid-19 response, time to act.
Framing: Headline uses hashtag #hauora and poses a question about a national respiratory risk alert system, emphasizing public health policy over immediate crisis. — advocacy - uses 'slams' (in headline) and 'unequal risk', but also 'encouraging news' about vaccine match. Calls for change.
Facts Included:
Aotearoa experiencing unusually late and potentially severe influenza surge.
Professor Michael Baker from University of Otago says surge well documented across surveillance systems.
Outbreak unusual due to late acceleration in August.
PHF Science lab surveillance: 1,295 positive specimens by week ending 2 August, 1,678 by week ending 9 August.
Influenza A majority of detections.
SARI rates in Auckland highest since surveillance began in 2012.
Professor Michael Plank says influenza levels have rocketed, approaching highest in four years, possible to exceed 2022 peak.
Hato Hone St John recorded busiest day on record on 14 August, activated emergency response arrangements earlier in month.
Hospitals faced patients waiting for admission and disruption to planned surgery.
Health NZ identifies Māori and Pacific people over 55 among increased risk groups.
2025 hospital surveillance showed Māori and Pacific around twice as likely to be hospitalised with influenza.
Housing, crowding, access to primary care, vaccination, ability to stay home affect spread.
Vaccine appears well matched to circulating strains.
Experts say still not too late to vaccinate.
Discussion of national respiratory risk framework.
Baker argues for clearer warning system.
Winter preparedness may need to change due to later outbreaks.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
Claim120 nurses at North Shore Hospital signed a letter to Health NZ chief executive Dale Bramley saying the emergency department was in a state of emergency.
ClaimHealth NZ said its winter plan was helping, but the emergency departments at North Shore and Waitakere Hospitals were having their busiest ever winter with nearly 14,000 patients in July.
ClaimThe nurses' letter said the crisis was 'entirely predictable' and Health NZ failed to adequately plan for winter demand, placing patients and staff at unnecessary risk.
ClaimProblems outlined in the nurses' letter included patients waiting 90 minutes to be triaged, heart scans taking hours, patients waiting more than 50 hours in the ED for a hospital bed, patients missing essential medications, patients left in soiled beds, and the department at 300% capacity at times.
ClaimNurse Sharon Franklin-Smith said she saw a line of grey heads - people in their 80s or 90s - being cared for in the corridor, lacking dignity and respect.
ClaimHealth NZ announced it had started recruitment for 50 new nurses for North Shore and Waitakere Hospitals, with nine for the North Shore emergency department.
ClaimHealth NZ group director of operations Brad Healey said Health NZ would hire 10 nurses and 14 health care assistants in a central team to be dispatched where needed.
ClaimHealth NZ chief executive Dale Bramley said seriously ill people should always still go to an emergency department where they will get priority care.
ClaimHealth NZ chief executive Dale Bramley said the entire health system was under pressure, with the spike driven by influenza A along with cases of RSV, cold viruses and some Covid-19.
ClaimBaker said New Zealand needed to get better at rapidly ramping up control measures including mask use in enclosed environments and additional precautions in high-risk settings like public transport and waiting rooms.
ClaimAuckland had 177 people admitted to four Auckland hospitals with severe acute respiratory illness from 9 to 16 August, up from 125 patients the week before.
ClaimCooper said SARI surveillance requires having a fever, so some people with flu, RSV or Covid without fever are not counted, meaning the number of sick people could be higher.
ClaimCooper said what's different this winter is that there's a lot of RSV and rhinovirus, and the combination has tipped the system into a very high level of respiratory illness.
ClaimHealth NZ is asking people attending the hospital in Hawke's Bay to bring just one support person with them as winter illnesses continue to pressure health services.
ClaimZero to four year olds, followed by people aged 65-plus, are the two groups with the highest number of hospitalisations, while babies and toddlers were the most common age group admitted to ICU in 2026 with respiratory illness.
ClaimCooper said the more a flu virus evolves, the less our bodies are able to remember it from previous flu seasons, so there was probably not a lot of natural immunity in the community.
ClaimNew data from Health NZ showed another nearly 6000 people have been vaccinated against the flu in the past week, with 5328 vaccinated in early August and 7076 the week before that.
ClaimProfessor Michael Plank said influenza rates had 'rocketed', with the last time this high being 2022, and it was possible the outbreak could exceed the 2022 peak.
ClaimFlu-related hospitalisations in Auckland doubled in a week, with the rate for the week ending 9 August at 3.781 per 100,000 people, up from 1.574 the week before.
ClaimCooper said flu, particularly in cold weather, spreads more easily, and the cold snap had seen more people spending time indoors spreading the virus more effectively.
ClaimNurses Organisation delegate Ryan O'Connell from Wellington ED said for about three or four days in a row they were getting over 200 patients per 24-hour period.
ClaimBramley said the Winter Plan was in action, with more people working in telehealth, working with urgent care clinics, and a small percentage of elective procedures being cancelled.
ClaimThere has been a delay in the rapid-build wards promised by the government in November, with Middlemore, Wellington and Waikato delayed to next year, Hawke's Bay to open next month, and Nelson in November.
ClaimAotearoa is experiencing an unusually late and potentially severe influenza surge, with respiratory illness placing growing pressure on hospitals, ambulance services, GP clinics, schools and workplaces.
ClaimProfessor Michael Baker said the current surge is well documented across multiple surveillance systems and is adding substantial pressure to already stretched health services.
ClaimThe latest outbreak is unusual because influenza activity accelerated comparatively late in winter, with infections climbing rapidly during August.
ClaimPHF Science laboratory surveillance recorded 1,295 positive influenza specimens by the week ending 2 August, increasing to 1,678 by the week ending 9 August.
ClaimHato Hone St John recorded its busiest day on record on 14 August, following pressure severe enough for the ambulance service to activate emergency response arrangements earlier in the month.
ClaimHealth NZ information identifies Māori and Pacific people over 55 among groups at increased risk of influenza complications, alongside young children, pregnant people, older people and those with certain underlying conditions.
ClaimHospital surveillance from 2025 showed Māori and Pacific peoples were around twice as likely to be hospitalised with influenza as non-Māori and non-Pacific populations.
ClaimHousing conditions, household crowding, access to primary healthcare, vaccination coverage and the ability to stay home from work when sick can all influence how respiratory infections spread and who becomes seriously unwell.
ClaimLaboratory analysis indicates many influenza viruses circulating in New Zealand are closely related to the strain selected for the 2026 Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine, meaning the vaccine is expected to provide a good match.
ClaimThe article discusses whether Aotearoa needs a nationally understood respiratory infection risk framework, and Professor Baker argues New Zealand could benefit from a clearer, nationally recognised way of communicating respiratory infection risk.