Inquiry ‘never got to point’

Press, 10 February 1983, Page 1

Inquiry ‘never got to point’

PA ' Wellington Investigators into controversial practices at Oakley Psychiatric Hospital in Auckland never quite got to the point, said the hospital's medical superintendent. Dr P. P. E. Savage, yesterday.

But the Committee of inquiry members, whose report was made public yesterday, were good, and honest, and tried hard, he said. “In every commission of inquiry, everyone gets the blame. Mud does tend to get thrown around,” Dr Savage said. “Unless you live and work in a situation, you can never fully understand it." Auckland Hospital Board members will meet in special session on Monday to evaluate the committee’s report, which urged the board to be positive in making changes to Oakley procedures. The committee said standards of care and treatment were inadequate when a patient. Michael Percy Watene, aged 23. died in February last year.' The report, scathing in some of its criticisms, said: “The standards of treatment and care provided to Mr Watene while a patient... fell far below those which could have been expected from a psychiatric hospital in 1982." Mr Watene died after elec-tro-convulsive therapy (E.C.T.), a week after his admission to Oakley. The committee's inquiry was in public but the names of many witnesses were suppressed, and the suppression is continued in the report. The chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, Dr F. H. Rutter, said yesterday that there would be no witchhunt. “We are not looking for scapegoats.” he said. The inquiry had been sought by his board and members felt some disquiet after receiving reports of what was happening at Oakley. Recommendations within the board's area of responsibility and ability would be adopted.

"Some have been adopted already and the board's intentions will be debated and made clear at Monday's special meeting." The Minister of Health. Mr Malcolm, said he would monitor progress towards carrying out the committee's recommendations. “It is now primarily the responsibility of the Auckland Hospital Board to respond to the recommendations and I will assist where appropriate.” said Mr Malcolm. “I have no reason to doubt the willingness of the board to act responsibly on the recommendations.”

Labour’s spokesman on health, of Dr M. E. R. Bassett, described Oakley as akin to a mid-nineteenth century Dickensian establishment. Oakley was isolated, understaffed, and received direction which was out of step with modern medical practice, he said. "Oakley has been allowed to assume far too many roles, and to master none of them,” said Dr Bassett, member of Parliament for Te Atatu. "Too few staff work too many hours, have too little specific medical direction as to treatment, and they all need more careful supervision.” He charged that the department had allowed the

results of 14 inquiries into Oakley reports, and recommendations to be put in the board's "too hard" file.

"The Auckland Hospital Board needs a promise from the Government that it will receive the necessary funding to act on the recommendations and there needs to be adequate supervision to see that the changes at Oaklev are made." Dr Bassett said. In Whangarei. Mr Tito Paul, a spokesman for the Watene family, said everyone was pleased with the report. "If it does any good for cases like Michael's, we are quite happy. We hoped there would be improvements.”

Mr Paul said it was unlikely the Watene family would take any legal action because of the sweeping improvements recommended.

The national director of the Nurses' Society. Mr David Wills, said the report was "excellent — exactly in line with our policies." “It is just what is needed to bring about changes at Oakley and it Is now absolutely" essential the recommendations are implemented in full without delay." Dr Savage is due’to retire next month and after that, the committee suggested, the management of the hospital should move in an entirely new direction and adopt an .entirely new philosophy of patient care. It recommended that the hospital should be amalgamated with Carrington Hospital next door and a new, separate board of control should be established to run the two together. This board should be appointed rather than elected and be answerable to the Auckland Hospital Board. The new medical superintendent should have responsibilities beyond the new Oakley unit and should report direct to the board of control on professional matters Report, page 13