File photo. Photo: Supplied/ Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner
There's been an unprecedented rise in complaints to the Health and Disability Commissioner.
In an editorial in today's New Zealand Medical Journal, Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell said the significant pressure on the health and disability sector, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, had resulted in a 25 percent increase in complaints to the commissioner in the last financial year.
Morag McDowell. Photo: Supplied / Lance Lawson Photography
Complaint numbers remained high this year and many were concerned about delays in care, access to services and poor communication.
"Complaints highlight the impact that delays in care can have on people, both physically and psychologically, particularly where their health is deteriorating and there is a lack of certainty about when care will be received," she said.
In the editorial, McDowell said the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights did not give people the right to access services and and the Health and Disability Commissioner could not compel care to be provided to someone, but it did outline expectations for healthcare providers.
"Providers do owe people waiting for services a duty of care, including the right to care of an appropriate standard that minimises potential harm to them and optimises their quality of life," she said.
"This includes minimising delays and providing care within acceptable timeframes where possible, particularly for care that is time dependent. It is also expected that providers are appropriately assessing and prioritising people on a waitlist to ensure those with greater acuity and need are seen first; that is, that prioritisation systems are fair and effective."
The commissioner had recently found Te Whatu Ora Southern breached the code due to the delays in providing non-surgical cancer care to people in Otago and Southland from 2016 to 2022, and people with cancer suffered harm as a result.
She had also found against a district which took 11 days to have a radiologist review and report on an X-ray which showed a mass-like lesion.
"I am very cognisant of the current pressures on the health and disability system and its workforce, and have been impressed by the dedication providers continue to show to providing high-quality, consumer-centred care in spite of these pressures.
"Notwithstanding such pressures, the code remains of central importance in this context, and it is critical that we continue to guard against complacency or tolerance in regards to delay and the potential for patient harm.
"While I understand that the constraints on the system are complex and will take time to address, all people have the right to services that minimises the potential harm to them and optimises their quality of life."