Health New Zealand has been faulted over the death of a man who died in December 2018 after two visits to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland. The man, who had undergone knee surgery at a private hospital in November 2018 to repair a torn meniscus, presented at the emergency department with increased leg pain and swelling but was discharged without adequate investigation.
The Health and Disability Commissioner's report, released in July 2026, found that Health NZ failed to provide appropriate care. The man returned to the hospital a second time but died shortly after from a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that traveled to his lungs.
The commissioner criticized the lack of a thorough assessment for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the failure to follow up on abnormal vital signs. Health NZ has since apologized to the family and implemented changes to improve patient assessment for DVT risk.
