Dr Paul Hutchison
National Party Disability Issues Spokesman
17 May 2006
Health Minister isolated by select committee decision
Parliament’s social services select committee will conduct an inquiry into the quality of care and service provision for
people with disabilities, despite Health Minister Pete Hodgson’s repeated comments that one is not needed.
National’s Disability Issues spokesman, Dr Paul Hutchison, says Mr Hodgson has clearly been in denial that there is need
for an inquiry into the wider sector and not just Focus 2000, which faced allegations of abuse, neglect and deaths as
well as million dollar payments for no services.
“The problem is not just confined to Focus 2000. There continue to be widespread concerns about service provision within
the disability services sector. Major problems with other providers will inevitably emerge. We must be most concerned
with individual quality of life.
“People within the sector itself are saying there are ‘deep systemic problems’.
“I was pleased to have the support of United Future and the Greens for this inquiry, as well as the Labour Party members
of the select committee, who clearly did not agree with Mr Hodgson’s dogmatic views.”
Dr Hutchison has worked with the sector to draft proposed terms of reference for the inquiry.
“I hope this will be a constructive, in depth attempt to improve the quality of care and quality of life for people with
disabilities.”
Attached: Proposed terms of reference
Inquiry into the quality of care and services provision for people with disabilities
Reason for the Inquiry
Concerns have been raised over poor quality of care, abuse, neglect and poor fiscal management by the disability service
provider Focus 2000. The Minister of Health has ordered a series of audits into Focus 2000, but reports of major
problems within the wider disability service sector are evident. For example - it was revealed in an audit that Spectrum
Care, another major provider, has one house where five intellectually disabled men who are non-verbal and have complex
support needs, are living and being looked after by poorly paid untrained caregivers.
The Assistant Health and Disability Commissioner, Tania Thomas, says -“the majority of concerns are about the total lack
of respect and the poor attitude of providers”.
Lorna Sullivan, executive member of the Disabled Persons Assembly says - “we’ve got a deep systemic problem – very
vulnerable people are living in the most compromised of circumstances in this country, and have nobody to speak for
them”.
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Social Services Committee
The Social Services Select Committee is appropriate to hold the inquiry as the Ministry for Social Development funds the
Office for Disability Issues. There is clear overlap with other Ministries and entities such as Health and ACC who fund
disability service provision.
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Terms of Reference
- Does the New Zealand government ensure the wellbeing, rights and care of disabled people are upheld as paramount
considerations in service provision?
- Is monitoring being carried out in the most effective way to ensure quality of care of individual disabled people in
New Zealand?
- Is quality of training, career structure and conditions for the disability workforce of adequate standard in New
Zealand?
- Is the present certification process a meaningful way of ensuring that service providers give people with disabilities
a good quality of life?
- Are the national standards of care being properly implemented and evaluated?
- Is the current understanding of quality as determined by the standards appropriate to the function of supporting
valued lives for disabled people?
- Does a better mechanism for complaints need to be developed, particularly for the most vulnerable?
- Has New Zealand achieved appropriate models of care provision and is there a need for greater choice?
- Has the Minister and Ministry of Health and Minister for Disability Issues, failed to take appropriate action over
Focus 2000 and Spectrum Care Trust and also to correct ‘systemic failure’ within the disability system?
- Has there been a failure of collaboration and information sharing between the Ministry of Health and Office for
Disability Issues and their respective Ministers?
- Is the New Zealand Disability Strategy being upheld?
ENDS