Waikato DHB apologises to Nicky Stevens' family and drops complaint to Solicitor-General

Jane Stevens, the mother of Nicky Stevens who killed himself after he walked out of the Henry Bennett Centre at Waikato Hospital four and half years ago. Photo / File

WARNING: This article deals with suicide and may be upsetting.

Waikato District Health Board has today apologised to the family whose loved one took his own life while in the care of a mental healthcare facility four and a half years ago.

Nicky Stevens died in March 2015 after being allowed out of Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre at Waikato Hospital unescorted, against the express direction of his parents.

"It's taken four and a half long years to get to the point of being able to move forwards," Nicky's mother Jane Stevens said.

The DHB has also dropped the complaint to the Solicitor-General about the findings of the Coroner in the inquest into the 21-year-old's death.

Solicitor Paul White wrote to the Solicitor-General, on the Waikato DHB's behalf, in January strongly rejecting claims there were "severe process irregularities" and believing the process was impartial and robust.

Today, the DHB has caved, saying it wholeheartedly apologised for the poor management of Nicky's leave from the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre and the poor communication with his family.

"Waikato DHB acknowledges the hurt and anguish you have suffered through Nicky's death and the various events and processes since that time. We are sorry for how much you have suffered and continue to suffer," it wrote to Nicky's family.

Stevens said she was glad to have finally reached agreement with the DHB, but they would not want any other family to have gone through what they had to put up with in that time.

"Our son is no longer with us, but now we can remember him every day without inquiries, reviews, legal complaints and other formal processes looming over us."

Nicky's father, Dave Macpherson, said the attempt by the DHB to overturn the Coroner's finding that Nicky's death was avoidable "was one of the most shocking and hurtful things that has happened to us since Nicky's death".

"The fact that this has gone, and that we've received a proper apology from the DHB, means we can now get on with our lives, and better support our other son and grandchildren."