A GP who failed to tell his patient he had leukaemia breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, a commissioner has found.
Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill found the GP failed to provide services to the man with reasonable skill and care.
The patient, a 78-year-old man, went to his GP with a sore knee, recent slowing of speech and a "fizzing" feeling in his feet.
A blood test showed he had a "moderate number of reactive lymphocytes" and the results were referred to a haematologist.
The GP also sent a referral to the outpatients clinic at the hospital.