Health board says sorry

Patients wrongly cut from list

Twenty-eight patients were incorrectly removed from an endoscopy waiting list in 2005, the South Canterbury District Health Board has admitted.

One of those patients has since died from an illness that could possibly have been detected by early screening.

The South Canterbury District Health Board (SCDHB) has admitted its mistake, which affects patients now aged between 30 and 94.

Letters were sent out on Friday to the patients affected, apologising for the mistake. It also asks the patients to visit their GP for a free appointment to assess whether they need an endoscopy, an alternative test, treatment or no further action.

Chief medical officer Bill Taine said it was important that patients affected by the mistake were checked and returned to the system if required, so their health could be monitored.

‘‘The bad news is we made a mistake. The good news is we are willing to own up and do everything we can to put it right.’’

A review of SCDHB’S endoscopy waiting list management took place after a surgeon reading a patient file discovered the patient had not received an endoscopy as planned in 2005. That patient has since died. However, the DHB cannot confirm the cause of death without permission from the deceased’s family.

The review showed 49 people scheduled for an endoscopy in 2005 were removed from the waiting list based on the patient’s response, or lack of response, to a questionnaire.

Three of those have since died of unrelated causes, such as a heart attack and 17 have received an endoscopy after they asked for one or were referred by their GP.

SCDHB chief executive Chris Fleming said the process by which they were removed from the list had ‘‘good intentions’’, but did not meet the standard expected today.

‘‘This is not acceptable. There is a risk that people responded to the questionnaire and asked to be taken off the waiting list without understanding the issue, or were removed because they did not respond.’’

He said a clinician must always make the final decision.

‘‘I apologise sincerely, both personally and on behalf of the district health board, to those patients who are affected.’’

Mr Fleming said if affected patients required further investigation or treatment, everything would be done to ensure they received it promptly.

‘‘I understand that this news may make some patients feel worried or anxious. If you are on the waiting list for an endoscopy and you are not contacted by the DHB, please don’t worry. This only affects a small number of patients and we will be contacting each of them and their GP personally by mail. If we do not hear from either the patient or the GP, we will follow up again.’’

If compensation for medical misadventure is sought, it will be handled by ACC.