The unexplainable waiting time of the emergency department of Dunedin Hospital has brought it in the limelight as the National Health Board has issued a highly critical report on the management. Last month, the Southern District Health Board revealed that the hospital lacked in proper system for providing treatment for the patients.

After spending three months in preparing review on the hospital, the National Health Board found that the hospital's systems have three major problems which relate to its Emergency Department waiting times, inconsistent booking processes and access to colonoscopy procedures.

In the report, the Health Board has criticized the managers by saying that the mangers are unclear about their obligations and roles, and respond in ad-hoc, short-term and expensive ways. The report highlights that the patients are not given priority by the hospital. The report has acknowledged that in the previous years the hospital has improved its services but still the hospital is lacking in providing effective treatment to its patients.

The findings of the report have been criticized by some who believe that the report portrays a negative image of the hospital to the public. The opposition group has said that drawbacks are in the infrastructure of the hospital and not in the medical facilities and services of the hospital.