Disabled patient ‘dragged naked around a field'

An intellectually handicapped man in state care was kicked and later dragged naked around a rugby field, health officials have been told.

It was one of several incidents which allegedly occurred in a Papakura house run by the Spectrum Care Trust, a Government-funded healthcare provider operating mainly in South Auckland.

The victim of the alleged assault is a man in his late 40s who is blind, has only partial hearing and a moderate-to-severe intellectual disability.

Another house run by Spectrum Care in Papatoetoe is under police investigation after allegations another intellectually handicapped client was sexually abused by a staff member.

The incidents are understood to follow a string of complaints about the trust to the Health and Disability Commissioner.

A complaint about the Papakura incident will be lodged with the commissioner on Monday by National MP Katherine Rich.

"The allegations are so serious it needs to be taken further," the MP said.

It is understood that Spectrum Care has commissioned an independent investigation into the Papakura allegations, and the Ministry of Health has asked for an urgent report.

The trust was certified to run residential care homes in 2001, and was signed on for another three years in October 2004.

The ministry's deputy director of disability services, Geraldine Woods, said she was aware of concerns relating to a client of the trust.

"We've asked for an urgent report from Spectrum on the issues involved in the investigation and we expect to get this early next week."

Other serious allegations include claims that the Papakura client was given so many sedatives he was close to having a seizure.

The staff member accused of assault was found by the Herald on Sunday working at another Spectrum Care residential home last Friday.

"I'm not allowed to say anything," he said.

Documents obtained by the Herald on Sunday show the assault was alleged to have taken place in January this year.

According to someone who claims to have witnessed it, the staff member "grabbed the client by the neck" and walked him around the Karaka rugby fields.

The man was distressed and when he kept falling to the ground, the staff member "pulled him up by the neck to keep walking him ... [the staff member] never let his hand go from the client's neck the whole time. The client was naked".

In another instance, the same client is alleged to have suffered "bruising and marks" after he was dragged along the hallway when he would not get up from the floor.

Other allegations are believed to include claims the man was kicked "several times", and was starved so he would not defecate.

Allan McEvoy, legal guardian of the man, has written to the trust, expressing concern that there is "a culture of fear" among staff about speaking out.

A reply in March from Phyllis Trelease, Spectrum Care's adult services manager, said the trust had boosted staffing levels.

"The list of injuries on [the client] is worrying and I imagine he received a number of them when he was so unwell last year when he was continually falling over.

"The staff at the time were diligent in trying to keep him safe but it was extremely difficult."

In a separate letter, in April, she said she would investigate claims that the man was being starved.

She also suggested that the high level of sedatives revealed in blood tests could be due to slow absorption into the body.

Spectrum Care staff contacted for comment referred inquiries to its head office in Onehunga. Chief executive Jacki Richardson did not respond to calls.

- Herald on Sunday