Delays may have been fatal for rest home patients

Patients at an Auckland rest home may have died prematurely because of delays in calling for medical help or other inadequate care.

A report from the Ministry of Health's inspection of the Culverden Group rest home in February noted patients in distress were sometimes left for more than a day before a doctor was called.

The report found that staff were confused about their responsibilities and there was no evidence of ongoing training. Last month the Ministry of Health's outgoing director-general of health, Karen Poutasi, cancelled the certification of the Culverden Group rest home in Mangere, trading as Pasifika Centre and Hospital, because it constantly failed to meet required standards.

That meant the facility would be closed and its patients sent to other rest homes.

But it effectively gained a stay when Culverden's owners lodged an appeal against the ministry's decision. No court date has been set to hear the appeal. The ministry report was released to the Herald yesterday under the Official Information Act.

It included details of four Culverden patients whose deaths were brought to the attention of police and the coroner, including:

* A patient who died of traumatic cerebral haemorrhage after a fall. He was not seen by a doctor until 12 hours after he first showed some discomfort, and seven hours after he became semi-conscious. The doctor ordered him to be taken to Middlemore, where he later died.

* A male who was not seen by a doctor until a day after complaining he had pain on the left side of his face and was having trouble breathing. Once admitted to Middlemore he was noted as having a "gross lack of oxygen" and died soon after.

The ministry's inspection team noted the care given to the patients may have been inadequate.

"The care of all patients noted above are an indication that the staff lack the necessary skills and ability to note significant changes in signs and symptoms exhibited by these patients that should signal referral to a doctor."

Dr Colin Feek, the deputy director-general of health, also noted in his recommendation for the cancellation of Culverden's certification that staff care might have contributed to earlier deaths.

He noted "a review of two patient files suggested the needs of two residents of Culverden had not been met and appeared to have resulted in premature death".

Culverden Group directors Norma and Ian Anderson are not discussing the issue publicly.