ACC apologises for ‘delays’
ACC has publicly apologised to a woman who has spent the past nine months battling to get the required help for a leg injury.
Former school bus driver Debbie Cuthbert injured her leg as she stepped off the bus she was driving, when she lived in Temuka last year.
Now based in Christchurch, Cuthbert spoke out about her struggle to get medical help for the injury and was told at one stage she may have to have the leg amputated. However, at an appointment at Christchurch Hospital’s orthopaedic outpatient department last week she was given the good news her leg could be saved.
Alongside her battle to get medical help, Cuthbert said ACC had not been easy to deal with, saying she had not had a lot of contact with the organisation since the injury, and felt like it ‘‘seemed to put me on the back burner’’.
She said while ACC accepted her claim, paying her 80% of her earnings since her injury, she had only been offered a subsidy towards one hour of cleaning assistance a week, and no-one had raised the possibility of lodging a treatment injury claim. She had also only been informed in recent weeks she was entitled to a visit from an occupational therapist, and has spent more than $2000 on two scooters, a shower chair, a cover for her injured foot and other items. Her partner, Tony, has also built ramps, so she is able to get in and out of the house on her scooter. ‘‘No-one offered any help, or even information on what I’m entitled to.’’
As well as looking after her 11-year-old daughter, Cuthbert has two miniature ponies to take care of, and one of her two scooters is used for outside, so she can clean up after them.
‘‘They’re my spiritual support – I can feel really down about my situation, and I’ll go out in the paddock, and they know I’m not well.’’
However, following enquiries by The Timaru Herald, ACC has apologised, with its acting chief operating officer Gabrielle O’Connor saying, following a review of Cuthbert’s claim file, there have been ‘‘identified opportunities where we could have improved our service’’.
’’There is no doubt that Debbie has had unnecessary delays getting the right level of support for her ankle injury, and we apologise for this,’’ she said. ‘‘We will take these learnings on board to make improvements in the future.’’
ACC had recently been in contact with Cuthbert to organise an assessment to identify her ongoing support needs. ‘‘We’ve also offered to move Debbie’s claim, so she receives one-on-one support.’’
While she is overjoyed to be on track for surgery, and relieved to no longer be facing amputation, Cuthbert said it should not have taken a protracted battle and media coverage to get this far.
‘‘I’m going to continue this fight for everybody else, for the other patients, for the nurses, and doctors and radiographers.
‘‘I’m real – not a statistic, not a figure, a real person.’’