Karen Brown
Midwives’ union criticised by nurses for devaluing their work
DHB midwives will strike later this month, as their union calls for more money than what nurses are paid. But nurses say that's not fair, and their union says MERAS approach is devaluing the role of… Audio
C-section, obesity, asthma link suspected - study
Auckland researchers are launching a study aimed at showing whether caesarian-section births help to cause obesity in children. It's speculated there could be a link as more becomes known about… Audio
More nurses in hospitals, but what about elderly care?
Two hundred extra nurses are being employed at public hospitals in a long-awaited move to improve staffing. It follows a pay deal in August that included government funding for an extra 500 nurses… Audio
What's changed in NZ's health system a year after govt formed
Half a million people will soon pay less to see a doctor, under a change implemented by the coalition government. Health Correspondent Karen Brown looks at what's been achieved in the health system… Audio
Worldwide HPV vaccine shortage leaves NZers waiting
A worldwide shortage of an anti-cancer vaccine has left many children and young people in this country with no option but to wait for the jab. At issue is the HPV vaccine Gardasil, which is funded… Audio
Breast cancer patients beg govt to fund new drugs
Women with advanced breast cancer went to Parliament today to beg the government to fund new drugs for the disease and quickly. They say that it's disgraceful and unfair that unless they can afford… Audio
New Pharmac-funded drug saving patients' sight
An expensive new drug for age-related macular degeneration is saving the eyesight of patients who might otherwise go blind. The drug, known as Eylea, is a long-awaited development for thousands of eye… Audio
Young patients’ long wait for bowel cancer - study
Young patients with bowel cancer are waiting far too long to be diagnosed. That's the finding of new Otago University-based research published in the Medical Journal today. And it says there are big… Audio
Bowel screening plan benefits Pākehā more than Māori - expert
Health officials are under pressure to screen Māori for bowel cancer 10 years earlier than others. Māori cancer specialists are demanding changes to a national screening programme that would allow… Audio
NZ bowel screening plan won't benefit Māori - cancer expert
A cancer specialist says a national bowel screening programme will widen already unacceptable health disparities between Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders. At least 1200 New Zealanders die from bowel… Audio
Nurses' strike cost hundreds of thousands of dollars
The recent nurses' strike cost hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars in staffing alone. About 30,000 nurses walked off wards on July 12 in a day-long strike over pay and staffing. Details… Audio
Nurses warn Health Minister that violence is worsening
Nurses are warning that violence in hospitals is rising, saying some of them have suffered permanent brain injuries after being physically attacked on the job. Audio
Bowel cancer patients waiting longer for diagnosis
New figures show many district health boards are falling behind in delivering timely diagnosis for one of the country's major cancer killers. Data released to RNZ News under the Official Information… Audio
Cancer doctors demand Pharmac fund last-chance drugs
Two terminally ill bowel cancer patients who cannot tolerate regular chemotherapy have been denied access by drug-buyer Pharmac to an alternative life-prolonging drug that's funded in Australia and… Audio
Terminally ill cancer patients criticise Pharmac over drug cost
Terminally ill cancer patients say a Pharmac decision is leaving them with no options but to wait to die, unless they can afford to buy their own drugs. They're patients with late-stage bowel cancer… Audio
Dying cancer patients' chemo reaction costs thousands
A Wellington cancer patient with a rare reaction to common chemo drugs is paying thousands of dollars for an alternative because her case isn't considered rare enough. Seventy-one-year-old Janet… Audio
Nurses' pay deal - Can it heal the staffing crisis?
Will the latest nursing pay and staffing deals ease the pressure? Karen Brown heads into a ward in one of the country's busiest hospitals to find out. Audio
Health sector fears looming exodus of nurses - Insight
Hard on the heels of a pay deal for nurses, there are worries about a looming exodus of nurses. A month ago nurses voted to accept a $520-million pay deal with their employers, ending strike action… Audio
MOH CEO sends ‘strong message’ to DHBs following audit
Ministry of Health chief executive Ashley Bloomfield says embarrassing audit findings concerning the embattled Counties Manukau District Health Board have not been swept under the carpet, but there… Audio
Serious questions raised over Counties-Manukau DHB finances
An official audit has raised serious questions about multiple financial irregularities at Counties Manukau District Health Board. It includes revelations that senior staff reported that DHB-run… Audio