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Patients suffered harm from years of services hamstrung by poor technology at Hawke’s Bay Hospital – report

Published

3 years ago

August 15, 2023

Medical imaging services at Hawke’s Bay Hospital were so fraught doctors had to take stopgap measures to shore them up while an investigation was ongoing.

This has been revealed after a senior radiologist blew the whistle for months on what has now been officially described as “unsafe” services.

Senior radiologist Dr Bryan Wolf told authorities in July 2023 it was criminal the review at Hawke’s Bay had not been made public despite his and RNZ’s efforts – RNZ made an OIA request for the review in May, but was blocked under whistleblowing laws.

Te Whatu Ora released the report on Monday, saying this was due to Wolf going public, and at the same time it had thanked and apologised to Wolf for having to go to such lengths.

Its interim chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan said stopgap measures had to be taken while the external inquiry carried on, from December 2022 until April 2023.

“As the review was undergoing, it was clear that there was risk for our whānau in those communities and so we set up a task force team … to look into doing some immediate stabilisation to try and reduce any risk and harm for our patients,” Sullivan said on Monday.

Patients had suffered harm from years of services hamstrung by poor technology, the newly released report said.

“There is at least one case where a critical report was not delivered to the referrer leading to a 16-month delay in the diagnosis of malignancy,” it said.

“Lack of a robust report delivery process is a widespread problem in NZ health settings.”

Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said on Monday she had been advised that four cases had been referred for further investigation, including to the Health and Disability Commissioner.

Sullivan said Te Whatu Ora responded quickly in December 2022 to Wolf’s alarms.

However, the agency had received an earlier alarm, in an internal memo in September 2022 about poor radiology IT systems across the million-strong central region.

This was leaked to RNZ and reported at the time, and is cited in the newly released review:

“The memo suggests that the likelihood of incidents occurring related to the first four risks is certain and that the impact on patients could lead to death or serious life-changing events.

“It is uncertain if this memo has been responded to formally, however, ‘Tiger teams’ were established in partnership between the Regional Radiology Steering Group and Regional Digital Health Services to look at the regional issues.”

Dr Sullivan on Monday said: “My apologies, I’m not aware of that [September 2022] report”.

Asked if Wolf was disciplined in any way for raising the alarm, Sullivan said no.

Wolf said he was not included in any Tiger team or in the oversight committee implementing the review’s recommendations. He was “chastised” by a local executive shortly after lodging a report, Wolf said.

Sullivan said the oversight committee had no one on it from Hawke’s Bay radiology. It had met four times, and now decided it needed someone local on it, he said.

The review found the same problems Wolf had documented, and said: “There is little evidence that clinician voice is adequately being responded to in a timely or comprehensive manner.”

It made 18 recommendations, most of which Te Whatu Ora said it was implementing or had completed.

The system was not optimum but was now safe and stable, and more improvements were being made, Sullivan said.

This was echoed by the health minister, who said she had been kept advised on the situation “for several months”.

However, internal communications RNZ has sighted show ongoing serious IT problems with reporting on patients’ scans, including a lot of false alarms mixed up with real alarms about tumours or diseases spotted by scans.

The “clinical risk” from the central region’s systems was “too high” due to lack of basic features, a Tiger team had advised. The region must begin looking for alternative platforms, it said.

Interviews with hospital staff combined to “paint a picture of staff exhausted by information systems that hamper their efforts to provide safe and efficient care to their patients”, the review said.

Staff had been put off even reporting problems by them not being addressed properly for years – it is what the September memo said, too.

“This culture of learned helplessness extended to staff outside of the radiology department.”

Te Whatu Ora said its legal advice was it had to protect Wolf’s identity, so had refused to release the review to RNZ in June.

However, the review does not identify him as the whistleblower, and Wolf made clear he wanted full disclosure.

The radiology department had its international accreditation suspended in July.

In 2022, Te Whatu Ora played down the importance of this accreditation, after RNZ revealed several hospitals’ radiology units, including the one at Hastings, had been tagged as “high risk” by International Accreditation of New Zealand (IANZ).

A week after the Hawke’s Bay review was completed in April, Verrall visited the hospital.

In an email to health authorities, Wolf said he met Verrall, who “was unaware of my reports, so I provided her printed copies”. He sent the reports to a wide group of health leaders, as well as writing a long warning letter to scores of senior medical officers in June.

He also wrote to the board and chair in April saying “each of you are now faced with ethical, moral and legal requirements” to give the public appropriate services and keep the public fully informed.

However, in late July he wrote again, saying that now the review had been done it was “gross negligence” that “the public were not guided in a way that minimised their exposure to risk”.

There was “extreme discordance” between Te Whatu Ora’s public statements and what it knew about the radiology systems, he said.

Verrall was asked on Monday what she was doing to determine if the shortcomings had occurred at other hospitals.

“I’m advised that while the software that was used in Hawke’s Bay has been used at other hospitals, the particular combination of software and the way in which results were processed is not present in other hospitals,” she said.

But the September 2022 memo described shared IT services letting down radiologists across hospitals from Hastings to Palmerston North to Wellington. Doctors in Wellington have said they, too, have struggled for years.

Te Whatu Ora has since done some upgrades, which doctors said was improving things gradually.

VIA RNZ

Latest News

Police say person who fired gun at officers still at large

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2026

News Staff

Police say a person who fired a gun at officers in Napier is still at large.

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Joel Lamb said Police tried to stop a vehicle in the Pirimai Area at about 10pm on Tuesday.

He said someone in the back seat pointed what was presumed to be a firearm at officers pursuing the vehicle.

“Staff have then heard two distinct gunshots as the firearm was discharged.

“Fortunately, neither of our officers were injured, and the patrol vehicle did not sustain any damage.”

He said hours later, the vehicle was seen travelling north on the Waikato Expressway towards Auckland.

Police seized the vehicle at an address in Manurewa, but they had not found the alleged offender.

Lamb said people who lived at the Manurewa address were engaging with Police.

He said Eastern District and Counties Manukau Police were making enquiries.

“Presenting a firearm at a Police officer is a serious escalation that puts our staff and the wider community at risk. This behaviour is entirely unacceptable.

“We are taking this incident extremely seriously and will be pursuing all lines of enquiry to locate the offender and hold them accountable.”

Police asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Police on 105 or online using the reference number 261111/3764.

Information could also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

rnz

Latest News

New Zealand sides named for RLWC finals

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2026

News Staff

The players tasked with ending Australia’s Rugby League World Cup dominance have been named.

The Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns have announced their squads for this Sunday’s World Cup finals in Brisbane.

Both sides are chasing their first titles since 2008, and both are looking to end their opponents run of three crowns in a row.

“Our Kiwi Ferns have been so dominant in years gone by, and we want to bring dominance back to this jersey, so I think it will be a case of who wants it more,” said co-captain Georgia Hale of the impending clash.

The Kiwis get a major boost for the final as they welcome back Ronaldo Mulitalo after he served a one-match ban for a high tackle against Fiji Bati.

Mulitalo replaces Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who moves to the six-man bench, which again includes utility Te Maire Martin, middle forwards Naufahu Whyte, Erin Clark and Xavier Willison plus fullback Keano Kini.

Loose forward Joseph Tapine will make his 30th Test appearance in a familiar pack again, including second-rowers Isaiah Papali’i and Briton Nikora, and props James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota.

Winger Jamayne Isaako is on the cusp of claiming the New Zealand record for most Test points.

His five goals against Tonga lifted his career points tally to 225 – level with Shaun Johnson – while centre Casey McLean goes into the final with 16 tries in just eight Tests.

Fisher-Harris will again captain the team.

Fullback Ponga said the goal of the group was clear.

“We have high expectations around what we want to achieve, and obviously winning a world Cup is one of them.”

Meanwhile, Ricky Henry has selected a settled side to take on the Jillaroos, led by their lethal centre combination of Stacey Waaka and Mele Hufanga.

Veteran Apii Nicholls takes the number one jersey, Leianne Tufuga and Mackenzie Wiki on the wings.

Henry has stuck with his halves pairing of Chantay Kiria-Ratu and Raecene McGregor with Alexis Tauaneai, Georgia Hale and Otesa Pule up front.

Rounding out the starting pack is Shaniece Monschau, Kaiyah Atai, and Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa.

“We have been building well throughout the tournament; we understand the Jillaroos side, and will give it our all to make New Zealand proud this weekend,” said Henry.

RLWC Finals:

Kiwi Ferns vs Jillaroos- 6.10pm

Kiwis vs Kangaroos – 9.35pm

Sunday November 15

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Live blog updates on RNZ

Kiwi Ferns:

1. Apii Nicholls 2. Leianne Tufuga 3. Mele Hufanga 4. Stacey Waaka 5. Mackenzie Wiki 6. Chantay Kiria-Ratu 7. Raecene McGregor 8. Alexis Tauaneai 9. Georgia Hale 10. Otesa Pule 11. Shaniece Monschau 12. Kaiyah Atai 13. Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa.

Interchange: 14. Ashleigh Quinlan 15. Annessa Biddle 16. Shannon Mato 17. Ivana Lauitiiti.

Reserves: 18. Brooke Anderson 19. Zahara Temara 20. Brianna Clark 21. Abigail Roache 22. Tenika Willison.

Kiwis:

1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Casey McLean, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. James Fisher-Harris (c), 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Moses Leota, 11. Isaiah Papali’i, 12. Briton Nikora, 13. Joseph Tapine (v/c).

Interchange: 14. Te Maire Martin, 15. Naufahu Whyte, 16. Erin Clark, 17. Xavier Willison.

Reserves: 18. Keano Kini, 19. Phoenix Crossland, 20. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 21. Scott Sorensen, 22. Leo Thompson.

rnz

Latest News

Parliamentary Service working on extra chairs and offices for increased number of MPs

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2026

News Staff

The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.

On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.

Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.

In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.

“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.

“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”

Chief Executive of the Parliamentary Service Rafael Gonzalez-Montero appears before select committee. — Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero.

VNP / Phil Smith

Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.

That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.

“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.

Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.

Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.

The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.

Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.

Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.

“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”

Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.

rnz