7. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Port Waikato) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What action did Ministers take when they were first made aware of complaints surrounding Focus 2000 in 2002?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
As a matter of course, when Ministers receive complaints about service providers the complaints are passed to the Minister or to the Ministry of Health.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
Why has he failed to prevent the ongoing incidents of abuse, maltreatment, and neglect that continue to occur under State disability providers, given that the reported 2002 incidents were so serious they included “two deaths in the last 3 years, no staff present, both choked to death.”? Why has he failed?
The member is clearly referring to Focus 2000, which has been subject to a large number of audits, the repayment of $2.5 million, and a significant change in the way it does things. That has, however, not stopped the complaints. A further series of audits is under way now, and the ministry is meeting with Focus 2000 management on a weekly basis.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
What has he done, other than to order more audits, to prevent incidents under State-contracted disability providers such as the recent report of “an intellectually disabled autistic man who was kicked and later dragged naked around a rugby field”?
I have received a number of complaints—certainly in excess of the number that has been alluded to in the House today—that have caused me to ask the Ministry of Health to undertake a number of audits. Those audits include, first of all, an organisational audit—
I can tell members if they like, or I can sit down if they do not like—it is their choice. Those audits include an organisational audit, which is an unusual audit for the Ministry of Health to undertake and reflects concerns about governance, as well as a financial audit, which reflects concerns about money. As well as those, there will be a number of quality audits, which were scheduled anyway, which reflect ongoing concerns about the provision of care. It is a matter of fact that I have also received a large number of pieces of advice saying that people are very happy with Focus 2000. There is a variety of views on the matter.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
What will the Minister do, other than order more audits, to stop the ongoing abuse and neglect under State-contracted providers, when only this month a further complaint was made that the same blind, intellectually disabled, autistic man is being regularly punished by way of forced cold showers whenever he smears himself with faeces?
If the member has any complaint that he wishes to make available to me, I warmly invite him to do so, and I would like him to do so as freely and as often as he wishes. Finally, if the Ministry of Health—and specifically the Director-General of Health—holds the view that any residential facility ought not to continue, then she is entitled to issue a cease and desist order. That happens from time to time. It has happened, in recent times, other than to Focus 2000, and the member may be aware of that already.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
Does the Minister accept that he was ill-informed and confused on 17 February this year, when he was asked by Radio New Zealand about the need for wholesale change or for a special inquiry into Focus 2000 and he said: “No, no, no, no. No, not at all.”, and will he now commit to a full-scale inquiry into shortcomings of care within the disability sector?
It is interesting that the member asks me to commit to a full-scale inquiry, when, on the afternoon of that very day, that is exactly what happened.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
I seek leave to table three documents. The first article is from the Weekend Herald dated Saturday, 18 March 2005 and is entitled “Disability care in crisis”.
Madam SPEAKERDr Paul Hutchison Link to this
The second article is from the Herald on Sunday dated 5 June 2005 and is entitled “Disabled patient ‘dragged naked around a field’ ”.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
The third article is from the Herald on Sunday dated 12 February 2006 and is entitled “Disabled ‘roughly handled’ by staff”.