These case studies highlight the impact of our work and support the education of providers to drive systemic improvements to health and disability services in Aotearoa New Zealand.
24 May 2022
In 2020, HDC received a number of complaints from consumers raising concerns about Pharmac’s decision to change the funded brand of lamotrigine, a medication used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
24 May 2022
In this case, a woman complained about not being fully informed about the fertility implications of procedures she underwent — a hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy (removal of reproductive organs). HDC carried out a thorough assessment, with a particular focus on informed consent and the information provided on treatment options prior to the surgery.
24 May 2022
A woman complained to HDC about the care her adult son received from a residential rehabilitation facility. He had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury following an accident, and now requires a high level of care.
24 May 2022
A woman complained to HDC about the lack of adequate mental health support she was receiving from her DHB’s mental health service. She was concerned that despite suffering a range of mental health symptoms, she had never received a definitive diagnosis and could not access community support services.
24 May 2022
A woman who had been diagnosed with Stage 2 myeloma (a type of blood cancer) complained to HDC about a delay in receiving her stem cell transplant procedure at her local hospital.
24 May 2022
A woman living with spastic quadriplegia, who does not communicate verbally, was a resident at an assisted living facility.
24 May 2022
A woman in her late eighties was a rest-home resident and had a medical history that included coronary heart disease and COPD (a lung disease).
24 May 2022
A woman with dementia, and her partner, went to see the woman’s GP to complete a medical certificate certifying the woman’s mental capacity to appoint her partner as her enduring power of attorney (EPOA).
24 May 2022
A woman had a history of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and significant mental health issues. She had received compulsory treatment under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 at the DHB.
24 May 2022
Mr A, a person in prison, was hospitalised following a stroke and a heart attack. On discharge, the hospital prescribed him long-term clopidogrel (an antiplatelet medication or blood thinner). At the time of events, long-term clopidogrel was accepted firstline treatment for secondary prevention of stroke.
08 Jun 2022
In this case, a woman visited her GP to discuss having a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) inserted. Several swabs and urine samples were taken prior to the procedure. When the woman arrived at her appointment to undergo the procedure the following day, a chaperone nurse noted from her computer file that the woman had a positive result for a bacterial infection, and raised it with the GP. The GP reassured the woman that the procedure would not be affected by this, and went ahead with the procedure.
12 Sep 2022
This case highlights the importance of aged residential care facilities having appropriate systems in place to ensure that nursing staff administer critically important medications correctly, and for medication errors to be identified and followed up in a timely manner.
12 Sep 2022
This case highlights the importance of accurate forward planning by providers for the admission of older people to care homes, and the need for vigilance to ensure that they receive their medications in a timely manner.
19 Sep 2022
This case study highlights the importance of critically assessing patients who present to hospital on multiple occasions with the same symptoms within a relatively short period of time, and investigating symptoms fully and considering alternative diagnoses.
