Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti (formerly Tairāwhiti District Health Board) breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights for inadequate care provided to an elderly man, the Health and Disabilities Commissioner has ruled.
The man, who was in in 80s at the time and has since passed away, was a patient at Gisborne Hospital in 2019. He was suffering from sepsis and chronic wounds in his big toe and heel because of reduced blood flow. This led to an above-knee amputation.
The man’s family made a complaint to the Health and Disability Commissioner about the level of care provided to their father. The complaint alleged poor communication with the family and between multi-disciplinary team members; wounds and incontinence not managed adequately; lack of oversight of nutrition and assistance during mealtimes; a head wound that was not investigated adequately; and problems with the condition and availability of equipment. The family also complained of a suboptimum state of order and cleanliness.
Aged Care Commissioner Carolyn Cooper found Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti breached Right 4(1) of the Code, which gives consumers the right to have services provided with reasonable care and skill. She noted a number of shortcomings across wound management, head wound care, incontinence management, nutrition and the multi-disciplinary approach, which amounted to inadequate care of the man.
“In my view, the number and scope of failures points to serious systemic failures in patient care at Gisborne Hospital at the time.”
