Karen Brown
Pathologist defends time taken to identify mosque victims
A pathologist who led the body identification team in Christchurch after the shootings has defended the time it took, saying the process couldn't have been done any quicker. The team used a CT… Audio
Christchurch mosque attacks a scene medics will never forget
The head of a network of Christchurch family doctors says doctors and nurses who work close to the Linwood mosque saw and did things in the aftermath of the shooting attacks they will never forget… Audio
Christchurch health system struggles after attacks
The head of a network of Christchurch family doctors says the health system in the city is bending under the weight of yet another massive blow. Pegasus Health is a GP network delivering care to more… Audio
Doctors urge NZers to check bowel cancer family history
Doctors are urging the public to find out as much as they can about any family history of bowel cancer. They say those with bowel cancer in the family have a much higher chance of getting the cancer.
…48 with gunshot wounds at Christchurch Hospital
Health Correspondent Karen Brown says 48 patients are at Christchurch hospital with gunshot wound injuries ranging from critical to minor. Additional patients with gunshot injuries are at other… Audio
Hospital told to expect 50 casualties, source
RNZ health correspondent Karen Brown says all Christchurch hospitals are on lockdown. Christchurch Hospital has been told to expect 50 casualties, a source says. Audio
Health authorities on high alert as measles spreads to Dunedin
Canterbury GPs are having to turn patients away who aren't a priority to receive new supplies of the measles vaccine as the region's outbreak spreads to Dunedin. Audio
Finding nurses for rest homes a constant struggle
Resthomes say they are exhausted by the constant struggle to find nurses to replace those they lose to better-paid jobs in public hospitals. The aged care sector is short of 600 nurses, and a recent… Audio
Doctors call for action on chronic pain crisis
Medical specialists are demanding government action over a crisis in services for those in chronic pain. One in five people suffer from complex, ongoing serious pain, which is estimated to cost the… Audio
Chronic pain costly, destructive, widespread - doctors
A leading pain specialist says chronic pain is a costly and destructive disease that drives poverty and can ruin lives. A new report released today says one in five New Zealanders suffers from chronic… Audio
NZ must push against anti-vax messages – health bosses
Hospital bosses say a national campaign is needed to counteract damaging messages being put out by the anti-vaccination lobbyists. It comes amid a measles outbreak in Canterbury - in which seven… Audio
Surviving bowel cancer surgery a postcode lottery
Bowel cancer patients have far more chance of surviving major surgery in Auckland than they do in Whanganui. A report out today reveals the way patients with bowel cancer are treated in public… Audio
Junior doctors to meet DHB again as latest strike ends
Junior doctors are back in talks today in a final bid to reach agreement with hospital bosses before their current pay deal lapses at midnight. Six weeks of rolling two-day strikes around the country… Audio
DHBs accuse junior doctors union of misleading claims
District health boards are accusing the junior doctors' union of making misleading and or deceptive statements in their deepening pay row. The doctors are taking ongoing strike action at public… Audio
Junior doctors return to work after strike
Junior doctors are back at work after their latest two-day strike in a deep dispute with district health baords. The doctors returned to work at 8am. Both sides say the strike went as planned at… Audio
Junior doctors strike as dispute continues
Junior doctors are on strike again this morning for two days as tension mounts in public hospitals from strikes. The strike from 8am Tuesday until early Thursday is the third such strike by the… Audio
Teenager faces painful wait for surgery
A mother whose teenager has painful benign bone tumours in two parts of her body is desperately hoping district health boards and junior doctors will settle their dispute soon. Junior doctors are… Audio
Senior doctors under pressure as juniors strike
Some senior doctors say it's becoming increasingly difficult for hospitals to cover urgent care during ongoing junior doctors' strikes. Junior doctors will begin their third 48-hour strike at public… Audio
1/4 of people diagnosed with bowel cancer after visit to ED
New research shows one third of people under 50 only find out they have bowel cancer when they turn up to a hospital emergency department. Audio
Health Ministry says changes afoot for cancer treatment
The head of the Ministry of health says they're working towards changing the way cancer is treated in New Zealand. This comes after a conference in Wellington which is focussed on how cancer treatment… Audio