11. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Port Waikato) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Will he confirm that he has now committed to a full-scale inquiry into shortcomings of care within the disability sector, or will his inquiry be confined only to shortcomings of care from the disability provider Focus 2000?
Hon PETE HODGSONDr Paul Hutchison Link to this
Why has he confined his formal inquiry just to Focus 2000, when the New Zealand Assembly of People with Disabilities says that currently systemic abandonment and neglect exist throughout the sector, and when over the last year there have been further allegations and evidence of poor care and sexual and physical abuse at other organisations, such as Spectrum Care?
I disagree with the diagnosis of the Assembly of People with Disabilities, but it is a matter of fact that the Ministry of Health at any one time has a number of investigations under way. At the moment it has a number of investigations into Focus 2000, and one or two into one or two other places, as well.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
Why has nothing effective been done to improve care at Spectrum Care, an organisation that received a damning audit in June 2005, which revealed only one out of 14 staff had completed the last sign-off page of the orientation induction manual and there was no documented evidence of employee medication competency?
I have with me the audit the member has referred to. It shows that Spectrum Care failed on, I think, six out of 27 counts. It passed on 21 out of the 27. Indeed, there is a particular issue concerning a particular gentleman at Spectrum Care that is under close review by the ministry, by the Taikura Trust, and by the gentleman’s court-appointed welfare guardian today.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Minister has not answered a very specific question, which asked why nothing effective has been done to improve the care at Spectrum Care.
Madam SPEAKERI think the Minister did actually address the question. The Standing Orders do not require that a specific yes or no answer be given, or that there be specific answers to questions.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
Does the Minister consider it high-quality and appropriate care to continue to have no medical or nursing professionals—in fact, no one with any formal training at all—looking after five non-verbal, intellectually disabled, high-complex needs men, as has been happening for years at 8 George Street, Papakura under Spectrum Care; if so, why?
The court-appointed welfare guardian for one of the people at that address is of the view that certain employees should be moved out of the George Street facility and others moved in. Those matters are under discussion with the Taikura Trust today and will be discussed with Spectrum Care on Monday.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
What score would he give this Government’s mismanagement of the disability sector, given his score of 5½ for the health sector; how much less than 5½ would he give for his management of the disability sector?