Apology ordered after patient denied care due to cost

A disability care facility breached code when it refused care to a patient with a complex medical history.

In September 2019, a woman was accepted into the care of NZCommunity Living with diarrhoea and illness.

Her parents stressed to the doctors the complexity of her medical history and the need for close monitoring.

The patient had a kidney transplant and allergy to the antibiotic augmentin.

The GPs told the mother and patient to return if their condition worsened in 48 hours.

Three days later, the mother contacted NZCommunity Living again with growing concern for her daughter's health and requested a home visit.

The facility refused the request because of expense.

Later that night, the mother took her daughter to the emergency department where she was admitted into the critical care unit (CCU) with severe lung and kidney infection.

She spent two weeks in CCU and two more weeks in general care.

Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall was critical of the facility's management of the woman when she demonstrated a clear deterioration over four days.

They also found the patient was given augmentin six times.

"Ms A's complex medical history meant she required careful monitoring and management," she said in the report. "This did not happen. Overall I consider the failures of staff demonstrate a pattern of suboptimal care."

Wall said NZCommunity Living breached Right 4(1) of the Code - the right to services of an appropriate standard, provided with reasonable care and skill.

She recommended the facility write an apology letter to the woman and her family, take on board the recommendations of the report to improve staff training, and provide reports on the facility's improvements every three months.

NZCommunity Living is a facility that specialises in the care and support for people living with disabilities. Its website boasts that it is "New Zealand's trusted disability support service".