Alliance Joins The Dots On Systemic Issues And Alleged Human Rights Abuses At Wakari

The Alliance Party has expressed its strong concern at alleged grave misconduct found by inspectors in March at the inpatient unit of Wakari Hospital in Dunedin, with the closure of Ward 10A reported on Friday by Chief Ombudsman John Allen.

Reports by the inspectors revealed mistreatment of adults with intellectual disabilities that included long-term isolation, prolonged use of restraints, unlawful administration of medication, denying people access to their own money and individuals being incentivised for “good” behaviour with access to basic necessities, including the toilet and dental care.

Some cases could satisfy criteria under the international legal definition of torture, John Allen told RNZ’s Checkpoint. One reported case involved a person being secluded for eighteen months, and another strapped to an EVAC, causing carpet burns.

Alliance Party candidate for Taieri, Anna Knight, says the situation is “an appalling breach of human rights and dignity.”

She says while the decision from the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand to close the ward for refurbishment was likely overdue, she shared community concerns that the relocation process may add further stress, with reports of some patients being moved out of the city in the interim.

Ms Knight says the review process now underway must ensure systemic failures are addressed, funding increased and accountability delivered.

“While the facility was underfunded and not fit-for-purpose, the dire situation in Ward 10A was clearly not solely due to its physical environment. The governance arrangements and clinical context must be scrutinised, so how and why this culture of cruelty was able to develop and continue unchallenged for so long can really sink in.”

“Our hearts go out to patients and their families, who will be devastated to hear of punitive and coercive treatment.”

“Think of the families who, already hesitant to place loved ones with complex needs into such facilities, but with few options available to them, eventually resign themselves to doing so, only to learn our healthcare system has actively failed them.”

One of the key concerns is how long these issues have gone unaddressed, despite repeated attempts to sound the alarm, including an OPCAT (Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture) inspection in May 2021.

Ms Knight says the Alliance supports the call from disabilities rights lawyer Huhana Hickey for a nationwide overhaul of the disability system.

Health NZ says it will continue working with patients, families, staff and unions throughout the transition.

Ms Knight says beyond existing unannounced inspections, one way to avoid the “unseen” proliferation of such malpractice would be if staff were better unionised and in touch with collegial best practice.

Healthcare unions must be strengthened so that their members’ concerns are heard and whistleblowers are able to report such issues as chronic understaffing without fear for their livelihoods, she says.

“We have to assume the majority of healthcare workers go into such industries because they are caring individuals. So somewhere along the line, they are feeling unsafe and corners are being cut on patients’ rights.”

“It is unacceptable that the trade-off for worker safety could effectively become torturing our most vulnerable. It’s not a mystery what the solutions are, the problem is the unwillingness to adequately resource them.”