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Nearly two years after an elderly man died following hip surgery complications, his family have received a direct apology from Auckland City Hospital.
The hospital previously apologised over the death of Alfred Hudson through the Health and Disability Commissioner's office.
But Mr Hudson's daughter Lois said a letter dated March 6 contained the first apology made directly to the family and it came because she asked commissioner Ron Paterson to request it. "It is unacceptable that we had to actively request that the hospital apologise," Ms Hudson said.
Her father had a partial right hip replacement in May 2005 after a fall. After a second fall, two more operations on the hip, and repeated wash-out procedures for a persistent infection, he died in April 2006, aged 90.
His death certificate said he died of bronchopneumonia, generalised debility, congestive heart failure and his hip surgery.
The second fall occurred in hospital while recovering from the first operation. Ms Hudson said her father had been heading to the toilet on his own after he pressed the buzzer and no one came to help.
After that fall, he waited 20 days for total hip replacement surgery. He was repeatedly bumped off the surgery list by more urgent cases - going without food and drink each time in preparation for surgery - although the hospital said infection risk, anaesthetic requirements and pre-surgery investigations contributed to the delays.
Ms Hudson said repeatedly starving her father weakened him, contributing to his death - and it was inhumane.
The hospital's apology letter says it will make greater efforts to advise a patient's ward when surgery is cancelled so the patient can be fed and given fluids without delay.
