Staff at Palmerston North Hospital have told Newshub the intensive care unit has a widespread bullying problem that they say is putting patients at risk.
Things are so bad one launched an internal survey about the culture that had to be pulled within an hour as the responses started flooding in.
The country's health system's been buckling under winter illness pressure, and at Palmerston North Hospital, Newshub has been told the problems run much deeper.
The minister in charge paid them a visit on Thursday.
"There's a number of health issues that we're looking at down there including the hospital," Health Minister Andrew Little said.
But it's not just health issues, there are claims of bullying and burnout.
Staffers spoke to Newshub on the condition of anonymity, fearing for their jobs.
One said the yelling, bullying, and insulting attitude from certain senior medical officers is demoralising.
They said physicians avoid contacting ICU for their patients because they know the discussion will be futile and that people are being hurt.
"I'm not aware of that, I've not been advised of that no," Little said.
On Wednesday last week, an internal survey was launched by a staff member, asking questions about culture, safety, and bullying.
Newshub's been told it was shut down within an hour by management, with the request that the data be deleted.
In a statement, MidCentral interim district director Dr Jeff Brown said any reports of bullying are investigated and that the survey sent out was not authorised by the chief medical officer. He also said that many staff were upset by its content so it was withdrawn.
Newshub understands that in the last six months, a large number of nurses have resigned from the hospital citing burnout.
"The stress and pressures of trying to keep that ED going has meant they've lost a lot of senior nurses," Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said.
Little said: "I'd be worried if nurses were leaving for that reason, that would concern me."
So there's a lot for the minister to worry about.
