Monday, 5 July 2021, 2:09 pm
Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall today
released a report finding a dermatologist in breach of the
Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights
(the Code) for failures in his care of a woman undergoing
surgery for skin cancer.
The woman, aged in her
forties at the time of events, was referred to the
dermatologist after a lesion was identified on the left-side
of her forehead. It was confirmed to be a basal cell
carcinoma lesion and the woman underwent Mohs surgery (a
precise surgical technique to treat skin
cancer).
Around 24 hours after the surgery, when the
Mrs A was nervous about the procedure and had been given a sedative, the report states. Once in the operating theatre, Dr B assessed her forehead and identified what “clinically appeared” to be the basal cell carcinoma. Dr B told the commissioner that his usual practice was to confirm the site with the patient, holding a mirror and reviewing the previous photograph of the cancer skin site. However, this did not happen. Instead, Dr B reviewed the photo in a different room, not with Mrs A.
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The issue was not discovered until 24 hours after surgery, during a dressing change. (File photo)
Monday, 28 June 2021, 2:02 pm
Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall today
released a report finding an aged care provider in breach of
the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’
Rights (the Code) for failures in its care of an elderly
woman.
The woman, aged in her nineties at the time of
these events, had a number of health issues including
recurrent pneumonia, leukaemia, Parkinson’s disease and a
sacral pressure injury. She required full assistance with
daily living activities.
Until her death, she was a
permanent resident at Waiapu House Lifecare (WHL) run by
Heritage Lifecare Limited. This was during a period of
+Undoctored
Media release from the Health and Disability Commissioner
Monday 14 June 2021, 03:32 PM
1 minute to Read
Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall today released a report finding a nurse in breach of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights (the Code) for his care of a man residing in a secure facility.
The man, aged in his fifties at the time of these events, has an intellectual disability and physical health concerns. He resides in a secure facility operated by the DHB and is a compulsory patient under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.
The man complained that he was assaulted by his primary nurse in the dining room at the facility. The man and the nurse told HDC different versions of events: the nurse said the man tripped and fell, whereas the man said the nurse pushed him. In any event, when the man was on the floor, the nurse sat on the man’s body and bounced on him, and did not remove him