Orthopaedic report takes board to task

Press, 22 October 1987, Page 20

Orthopaedic report takes board to task

PA Whakatane The report on orthopaedic services at Whaka* Fane Hospital said the Bay of Plenty Hospital Board must accept responsibility for standard of the ser* vices,

The report, commissioned by the hoard, was written by Professor William Gillespie, of the Canterbury Hospital Board.

Professor Glllespte said there had been “Intermittent episodes of failure to furnish an adequate standard of care*' at the hospital during the period, under examination, which was from 1980.

The board must accept responsibility for the standard of orthopaedic services.

He highlighted the lack of support for the orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Lachman Panjabi, in his “genuine attempts to gain skill*' In joint replacement and over problems with the services brought to the board's attention by family doctors of the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Professor Gillespie said both sides in the doctorshospltal services “adversary situation’’ must act to resolve it.

He Indicated there was a need for informed public debate on the way specialist medical services were delivered and said that the orthopaedic services should be reorganised in the light of such debate.

Professor Gillespie

appeared dubious that smaller hospital boards such as tne Bay of Plenty's should try to fund specialist services io an acute level,

The 18-page report released to the news media contained no reference to nny patients or any specific complaints laid during the recent controversy, Mr Panjabi was suspended by the hospital board In July, but was reinstated In August, He successfully sought an interim injunction preventing release of the report in July, Professor Gillespie said the board's complaint file contained documents relating to 13 cases, A number of these had been reactivated when a Whakatane lawyer, Mr David Duggan, advertised this year for complaints, Mr Duggan represented the family of Wayne Cox, aged 19, whose death in whakatane Hospital in March sparked on outcry that ultimately led to the Investigation. Professor Gillespie examined 68 complaints about the orthopaedic services while conducting his Independent investigation. He concluded that there had been instances of failure to furnish adequate care.

However, the 68 complaints represented less than 2 per cent of cases treated by Mr Panjabi in the period under review. Mrs Pamela Cunnlnghame, the chairwoman of

the Hospital Board, said that of the complaints, some related to nursing and other medical staff, and did not involve Mr Panjabi. Fourteen complaints Investigated found no evidence of failure to provide acceptable cere, Heventeen cases indicated evidence of Inadequate communication, but no failure to provide acceptable care, inadequate communication and a less-than-opii-mat standard of care was indicated In a further 19 cases,

Sixteen other cases consisted of five of alleged negligence and 11 of poor care,

Mrs Cunnlnghame said Professor Gillespie's standards might be a good deal higher than could

possibly be obtained in any small hospital, He had been “pretty harsh" but that could bo expected of a professor who had to promote the Ideal, The board accepted the criticisms in the report and had already started corrective measures,

The board considered that there was no reason a high-quality service could not be provided with a single orthopaedic surgeon and property trained general surgeons for acute trauma emergencies, Mr Panjabi will retire in January and the board had advertised for a replacement orthopaedic surgeon, The advertisement attracted applicants from New Zealand and overseas,