Elderly lives are on the line as overworked rest home workers are resulting in residents not even bothering to ask for help.

A shocking new report, In Safe Hands, has been released by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and E tū, after surveying over a thousand people working in aged care.

It's revealed some rest home residents are dying as a result of just six minutes of care an hour.

Patients are even trying to ration their own care to help overworked staff - including one case of a man dying from an infected wound.

It was reported the man saw how over-worked the staff were and didn't want to be a burden by reporting his infected wound.

Further information about the tragic death is not being made publicly available as it was collected through an anonymous survey and is still being looked into.

Also today, a new development in the investigation into allegations Kiwi soldiers covered up the killing of Afghan civilians, and breast cancer patients deliver an impassioned plea to Parliament.

Hosted by Juliette Sivertsen.