The Health Funding Authority has apologised to a Glenfield doctor for accusing him of devising a "devious" scheme to charge women for maternity services.
Dr Jon Wilcox started defamation proceedings following comments from the authority and its national manager of maternity services, Barbara Browne, on May 4, 1999.
In a media release,
the authority criticised a doctor for devising a scheme to charge women for general medical services during the maternity period. The statement made it clear that GPs must not charge for maternity services.
In a radio interview the same day, Ms Browne said Dr Wilcox had implemented a scheme "unfortunate to the point to being devious".
She claimed Dr Wilcox had misrepresented the authority's position on charging for maternity services.
Yesterday, Dr Wilcox's lawyer, Harry Waalkens, and the authority's counsel, Peter McKnight, told Justice Rhys Harrison in the High Court at Auckland that they had settled the defamation proceedings.
The authority publicly withdrew any suggestion that Dr Wilcox had acted deviously and apologised for any loss or embarrassment.
Mr McKnight said the issue was a matter of public interest. Free maternity services were seen as an integral part of the health system.
Mr McKnight said the statements were made to correct any confusion in the public's mind that GPs could charge for maternity services.
The terms of the settlement are confidential.
