Psychotherapists welcome review report
The New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists welcomes the Independent Review Panel´s report into the ACC´s failed new
clinical pathway, and it´s recommendations for changes.
"The report is clearly an indictment of both the intention and application of the change process ACC embarked on in
October last year." says Kyle MacDonald, NZAP spokesperson. "It is validating for all clinicians and survivors that the
review panel´s report echoes the concerns that we have had since the very first draft of this new pathway was released."
Most damming is the review panel´s view that "The Panel found no evidence of formal planning for implementation... ...
evidence obtained from presentations and submissions was that implementation was poorly planned without adequate
consideration of the impact on clients and the Pathway was introduced prematurely and precipitously." They further have
grave concerns about he fact that ACC failed to follow rudimentary processes about change implementation required of
State Services.
"The picture is one of grave incompetence, and New Zealander´s deserve to now know how this was allowed to happen"says
MacDonald.
Of most encouragement to clinicians and survivors will be the clear recommendation that ACC cease using the DSM-IV as
the measure of a mental injury, and that the legal opinion obtained by the review panel states that ACC have
"over-reached" in their interpretation of the law justifying this. Furthermore the review states that the higher level
of proof of "causality" is not supported by the current common law.
"The key thing now is for ACC to quickly implement all the recommendations, and remove the unreasonable impediments to
survivors wanting to access treatment. While some moves have been made in the right direction, we will wait and see how
the actual implementation of these recommendations plays out over the net few months."
ENDS