Fraudulent 'Psychiatrist' Found Working for Waikato Dhb

Fraudulent 'Psychiatrist' Found Working for Waikato Dhb

In a news release timed to be well-hidden on Saturday evening, Waikato DHB has announced that a person who was employed by the DHB as a consultant Psychiatrist has been charged with fraudulently using a false identity to work for the DHB’s Mental Health & Addiction Service during the first six months of 2015.

The fraudulent ‘psychiatrist’ was charged in Hamilton District Court on Saturday morning, 25th July, and has been remanded in custody.

He worked in the Service’s ‘Triage’, Crisis’ and ‘home-based’ units between 19th January and 17th July 2015. It is not known publicly which patients this person worked with.

The DHB has known of the case since at least 17th July, but kept the lid on any news of it for ten days.

Dave Macpherson, the father of Nicky Stevens, who died after disappearing from the DHB’s Henry Bennett Centre mental health facility during this period said the case “is the latest example of the chaos and mismanagement that has bedevilled their mental health services for some time.”

“It comes hard on the heels of the Service admitting some of our son’s vital medical records have vanished following his death.”

“In the last six months managers have also been sacked and removed from the Service, and the hopelessly ineffective security at thew Henry Bennett Centre has led to at least three ‘escapes’ and one death."

“Our family questions why Rees Tapsell, the Clinical Director of this Mental Health & Addiction Service has yet to have been held accountable for these examples of mismanagement by the DHB’s CEO and Board.”

‘We have heard him on the failings in Nicky’s care, and frankly we wouldn’t leave him in charge of a mop and bucket.”

ENDS

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