Doctor says dept buried ‘quite serious error’

Press, 2 November 1984, Page 4

Doctor says dept buried ‘quite serious error’

PA Dunedin An Auckland doctor has claimed he was unable to get details of a patient’s complaint about his fees from the Trade and Industry Department for five months. Even under the Official Information Act, the department refused to give details of the complaint, said Dr D. W. Bruce, in a letter to the “New Zealand Medical Journal.” After going to the Ombudsman, Dr Bruce discovered that the complaint had nothing to do with him. In May the department told him that a patient had complained about his fees,

and “extensive practice details” were demanded within two weeks. The details were supplied, but no reply was received from the department for three months. Dr Bruce said that the department then refused to supply details of the complaint, even when asked to under provisions of the Official Information Act “Appeal to the Ombudsman finally obtained restricted details of the complaint from the department,” he said. “It neither related to my ! practice address nor to my ees at that time. It clearly did not refer to me or my practice.

“I think they (the department) had realised the quite serious error, perhaps hoping that the sanctimonious claim of secrecy in the Eublic interest would keep it uried." Dr Bruce was worried that a patient had made an official complaint without consulting him. If there was a genuine error in charging out, he would “easily” reduce or waive a fee. “While feeling that my recently increased chargeout rate was justified, I said I would reduce my fees for two weeks to allow them (the department) time for reply (to the practice details),” Dr Bruce said. “In fact, my fees are still

reduced five months later.” Considerable accounting costs were incurred in compiling the requested information, he said. A campaign against doctors had been politically directed and orchestrated, he said. “The department, probably unwillingly being used by politicians in this way, still has a responsibility of care and integrity,” said Dr Bruce. “I hope with the country taking a new direction that neither doctors nor any other New Zealanders will again be subjected to the bureaucratic use of anonymous complaints and secret informants.” -