Letter to the Editor Tuesday February 17, 2015

Callous disregard

On January 25 (yesterday, as I write this) one of my children suffered an injury involving three or possibly four broken bones. I immediately drove my child to Kaitaia Hospital, our nearest hospital. We were seen almost immediately (much quicker than usual) by a doctor associated with a local clinic. That doctor said the injury seemed to involve broken bones, but the x-ray staff were not on duty at the time.

Because the doctor who initially saw us was not authorised to call in the x-ray staff, she arranged for my child to be seen by "a hospital doctor," one Dr Green.

Dr Green presented a pleasant manner and seemed competent. He completed a form to request x-rays of my child's injuries, but said he did not want to call the x-ray staff in to the hospital especially to do x-rays he had prescribed.

I understand the budgetary constraints imposed by the district health board and the present government, and how those constraints limit the options available to medical professionals in Kaitaia. Nevertheless, I think it unconscionable to leave a pre-teen child in pain and suffering possible mis-alignment of broken bones. Dr Green advised us to bring our daughter back to hospital at nine o'clock the next morning (i.e. this morning, as I write this), saying that the x-ray staff had to be in at that time for some other particular task. I was not happy taking my child home without any treatment for the above-mentioned injuries, but I accepted Dr Green's recommendation and did so.

As we left, a nurse in the A&M department said she would hold on to the x-ray form there, since we would be coming back in the morning anyway.

This morning, my wife made a special trip to town (more than an hour and a half return driving time) to take our child back to Kaitaia Hospital to have the x-rays done so that appropriate treatment could proceed. When my wife and child arrived at the A&M area, hospital staff could not find the x-ray form. Even more shocking, my wife was told that the x-ray staff had not come in and were not expected. She was told to return tomorrow (Tuesday, January 27) for the x-ray.

Leaving a pre-teen child to suffer pain and possible mis-alignment of broken bones for one day is unconscionable, but leaving a pre-teen child to suffer pain and possible mis-alignment of broken bones for two days is inexcusable cruelty and callous disregard of human rights in a supposedly civilised society.

We used to have a real hospital in Kaitaia. We still need one.

COL BOB JONES

Okaihau

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Dr Nick Chamberlain, Northland DHB executive, responds.

Thank you for your letter expressing concerns about the experience your daughter had at Kaitaia Hospital. I have investigated your concerns and can confirm that the treatment your daughter received was the same as it would have been with an x-ray, and was appropriate and followed clinical guidelines.

It was, however, disappointing to note that your wife and daughter had to make an unnecessary journey to Kaitaia Hospital because of an administration error, and we apologise for this inconvenience.

Thank you for your feedback. We trust that your daughter has recovered from her injury.