Man denied cancer check
DHB rules out specialist despite GP’s concerns
ATaranaki man was dismayed to be declined a specialist appointment to check a growth his GP thought could be cancerous. After inquiries by the Herald, the Taranaki District Health Board has now changed its stance and Darryn Sunnex is to be seen today.
The 54-year-old automotive service manager from Hawera noticed a small bulge on the right side of his neck about a month ago.
He went back to his GP after antibiotics did nothing and it grew from about 0.5cm to 2cm in a week.
“He was actually quite concerned and said there’s not much more I can do, we need to refer you to a specialist for an MRI and needle biopsy,” Sunnex said.
“He said it could be a number of things, it could be a cyst, it could be a cancer growth, we don’t know.”
Sunnex, who is ex-military and has hearing and other medical issues, can’t afford the high premiums for health insurance so chose to use the public system.
Eventually Taranaki DHB sent back a letter — he didn’t meet the clinical threshold for a first appointment. “I was expecting a few weeks’ delay before I got an appointment. Not to be told, ‘No, go away’.
“You have a person dealing with possible cancer growth . . . You are scared. And the family are the same. We just want to know what it is.”
Sunnex booked in with a private specialist, and prepared to pay more than $1000 for a scan plus other fees.
He contacted the Herald after reading about delays at Counties Manukau DHB that contributed to a young girl losing some of her sight.
A lack of capacity at the same DHB has also seen hundreds of referrals for skin issues rejected.
After the Herald inquiry, the DHB contacted Sunnex on Friday and, he said, told him they hadn’t realised the lump had grown substantially.
A DHB spokeswoman said it had now “received updated information regarding his referral and has booked him an appointment”.
But Sunnex believes others will face similar battles. “How many other cases like mine are there?”