The Health and Disability Commissioner has criticised training and orientation procedures given to staff at a hospital where a teenager died after being given an emergency appendectomy.

Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill found inadequate post-surgery care was given to the boy, with insufficient monitoring of his oxygen requirements after he was released causing his death.

Mr Hill was critical of the nurse working with the anaesthetist over a "lack of critical thinking" relation to the boy's care and inadequate documentation.