Health body bails out after promise broken

Northland Health has told the family of a sick elderly Maori woman to go to Auckland for treatment, because it is fed up with them taking her case to the media.

The 81-year-old Kaikohe kuia, Nancy Witehira, can eat only with difficulty after a series of strokes.

Earlier this year some of the family contacted a number of media organisations to highlight their case for getting Mrs Witehira a gastrostomy, where a feeding tube is placed in the stomach.

Unhappy with a geriatrician's advice that she was not a suitable candidate for the operation, the family were given a second opinion.

Northland Health is now annoyed the family broke an agreement not to discuss the case in public.

The clinical director of medicine, Dr Alan Davis, said in a letter to the family: "Further to our discussion of Tuesday, June 27, 2000, I am now aware that once again the media have been contacted about decisions regarding your mother's care. I find this situation to be intolerable and am no longer prepared to be involved."

It had been agreed in a tape-recorded conversation by those involved - including Mrs Witehira's daughter and granddaughter - there would be no further media involvement in Mrs Witehira's case. But within hours of reaching that agreement, the granddaughter, Eleanor Witehira, had contacted the media.

The chief executive of Northland Health, Ken Whelan, said he did not blame Dr Davis for not wanting to deal with the family any more, and Mrs Witehira could be referred to Auckland if necessary.