The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists is concerned some senior geriatricians are being used as scapegoats over
a decision to transfer a group of Covid-19 positive rest home residents to Waitakere Hospital.
Seven nurses at the hospital ended up being infected, sparking an investigation by the Waitematā DHB and a report which
was released last week.
A story published in Newsroom Who Knew What When Covid-19 reached Waitakere strongly suggests that the crucial decision to move the rest home residents was made by two geriatricians.
“There has been a lot of speculation and finger-wagging which is unfair and inaccurate. The decision to move the
patients came as a surprise to all staff, and the geriatricians involved directly in the patients’ care held strong
reservations and expressed concerns,” says ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton.
“They were caught in the middle of decisions being made somewhere higher up the chain. They did know many of the
patients and felt bound to care for them.”
“The decision to place the rest home residents at Waitakere should not be conflated with the exemplary care they were
given by doctors and nurses,” she says.
ASMS members also advocated for better PPE for all staff on the ward.