Author: Press Room

The Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner has found Te Whatu Ora Southern and a registrar breached a man’s rights under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights after he died of a brain haemorrhage.The man had an unwitnessed fall at his care home and was taken to Southland Hospital emergency department.A yellow envelope containing patient information was misplaced, which meant that hospital staff who were treating the man were not aware that he was on anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners.The man had his initial observations taken by a registered nurse about six hours after his arrival at…

The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) is proposing to slash 51 jobs, or 8% of its workforce, as part of public sector cost cutting measures.The crown agency said it was consulting with staff on a plan to disestablish 76 roles – of which nine are currently vacant – and create 25 new ones.”ESR grew quickly during the Covid-19 pandemic with a significant but time-bound increase in funding to establish critical systems and services,” it said in a statement.”With the acute phase of the pandemic now over, this funding level has been reviewed and, as anticipated, reduced.”It needed to…

Thousands of people have reported feeling a 4.9-magnitude earthquake which rattled central New Zealand this afternoon.The quake struck 15km east of Picton at a depth of 35km around 3.58pm, causing moderate shaking, according to GeoNet. Around 14,465 people reported feeling shaking as of 4.15pm.Described on social media as “short and sharp”, shaking was reported across the upper South Island and lower North Island as far north as New Plymouth and as far south as Seddon.

Students looking for summer work say there is enormous competition for entry-level roles, with retailers reporting a “much higher calibre” of applicants. Businesses are also choosing to take on fewer staff. One of those businesses, Push Bikes in Christchurch, normally looks to employ students at this time of year to help cover the busy summer period. But according to director Richard Allin, this year was different. “[It’s] unfortunate, but just the business isn’t there, and we don’t need the extra support,” he told 1News. He said that even though the business was not advertising, they were still receiving several CVs…

Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic Thriller album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, has died at 91.Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, says he died Sunday night at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, surrounded by his family.”Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate…

More than 100 students staying in accommodation at the University of Canterbury have become unwell overnight during exam season, with claims the illness was brought on by food poisoning.Students at University Hall have linked the sickness to the chicken meal they ate yesterday evening, with those 1News spoke to saying everyone who ate it has become unwell. Residents at the hall who skipped the meal did not become ill.One student said he was “severely affected” by illness during a “very important” engineering exam.”I had to leave for the bathroom within the first 45 minutes.”Another said she was up until 3am…

One person has been seriously injured in a workplace incident north of Auckland this afternoon.Emergency services were called to an incident on Jackson Cr in Mahurangi East around 3.30pm.St John said it responded with two operations managers, one ambulance and one helicopter.”One person has been airlifted to Auckland Hospital with serious injuries,” a spokesperson said.Fire and Emergency said it responded with two fire trucks and assisted ambulance at the scene.WorkSafe said it had been notified and was making initial inquiries.

One of the Associate Health Minister’s top officials has slammed the evidence Casey Costello used to justify giving heated tobacco products a tax cut.In internal emails seen by 1News, Ministry of Health chief advisor of epidemiology, Fiona Callaghan, described the Associate Health Minister’s information as selective, out of date, and some of it “crap”.In July Costello said the Government would set aside $216 million it may need to pay for a 50% cut to the excise tax on heated tobacco products.Costello got independent advice that she said showed heated tobacco products will help people quit cigarettes.The Ministry of Health’s chief…

Every year, thousands of people apply to the Employment Relations Authority to have it hear their employment disputes.In 2023, there were 2117 applications received, up from 1970 in 2022 but about the same number as in 2021. There were 1352 matters referred or directed to mediation.Five key reasons drove the majority of employment disputes, the authority noted in its annual report. They were:Personal grievancesThere were more than twice as many applications involving personal grievance than any other type of complaint.Within that, complaints of unjustifiable dismissal were most common, followed by complaints that an employer’s actions had resulted in an unjustified…

Opinion: The building consent process currently fills most people with dread. But a better way is within the country’s reach, writes architectural technology expert Sarosh Mulla. The New Zealand building consent process can be a frustrating experience for architects, developers, and homeowners alike. It’s slow, inconsistent, and costly. Depending on where you’re building, the time, effort, and fees involved can vary significantly. We have the same set of building standards nationwide, yet 78 local authorities – including 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities – are all interpreting and applying them in different ways. This lack of consistency doesn’t just…