Continuity of services provided by DHB and radiology service
Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill today released a report finding South Canterbury District Health Board
(DHB) and Pacific Radiology in breach of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights (the Code) for
failings in the care provided to a woman in her 60s.
In 2010 the woman was referred by her general practitioner (GP) to the Emergency Department (ED) to investigate a
possible pulmonary embolism (PE). The woman was assessed and her discharge summary recommended follow-up with a chest
X-ray in six weeks’ time.
The six-week follow-up did not occur. This led to a missed opportunity for additional investigations, and a probable
delayed diagnosis of cancer. Anthony Hill was critical that there was a breakdown in communication from the DHB to both
the woman and her GP.
Five and a half years later, in 2016, the woman presented to her GP who referred her to the DHB for a semi-urgent
ultrasound (US) scan in relation to classic gall-bladder symptoms. The accepted timeframe for a semi-urgent US scan was
two to four weeks.
The referral was waitlisted and a month later outsourced by the DHB to the private radiology service. It was two months
before the radiology service sent an appointment letter to the woman, with an appointment date in another two months
time. This was a total waiting time of almost five months for a semi-urgent scan.
Anthony Hill was critical that the contract between the DHB and the radiology service did not include detail on the
outsourced services, that the DHB did not have systems in place to manage and monitor the outsourcing of scans and that
there was a lack of communication from both the DHB and the radiology service about the referral.
Anthony Hill recommended that the DHB provide an update on the recommendations in their own review of this case, provide
an update on the outsourcing agreement with the radiology service, undertake an audit and apologise to the woman’s
family.
Anthony Hill recommended that the radiology service provide an update on the outsourcing agreement with the DHB, review
its policies, undertake an audit and apologise to the woman’s family.
The full report for case 17HDC00163 is available on the HDC website.
4 November 2019
ENDS