12 Aug 2025
Months-long wait for cardio test, days if done private
A cardio test that heart patients in some regions can wait up to six months for can be delivered in days, according to a private provider. Half of all heart attack patients are not being treated within accepted timeframes in New Zealand according to a new Otago University report. CardioScan Aotearoa is contracted by Tairawhiti and Taranaki hospitals to offer cardiac tests and it said more people are paying out of their own pockets rather than waiting. Jez Morris from CardioScan Aotearoa spoke to Lisa Owen.