3524 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Health

Written Question

Published date: 26 Feb 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	3524 (2026)
Question asked:	08 Feb 2026
Member asking:	Tangi Utikere
Portfolio:	Minister of Health
Minister replying:	Hon Simeon Brown
Answer received:	22 Feb 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_03524_2026
Document guid:	39823350-2740-4f7a-ab46-bd0f0bb1136a

3524 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Health: How does the process for triaging ED patients, if any, differ between adults and children in the ED at Palmerston North Hospital?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that the triage process for adults and children in the emergency department at Palmerston North Hospital follows the same overall approach. The main difference is that paediatric clinical documentation and observation tools are used with children, reflecting age-specific physiological differences.