Last year, I was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. I had an operation to remove the prostate, known as a radical prostatectomy. This is an invasive procedure that leaves you incapacitated and wearing a catheter for the next couple of weeks.
Typical side effects of the operation are damage to sexual function, a degree of incontinence, and increased urgency to urinate. This I accepted as the cost of removing a potential deadly disease from my body. However, as it turned out, I should never have had the operation at all.
The problem was not so much that the operation didn't remove all the cancer, but that it couldn't possibly have done so. The actions of the surgeon in carrying out this unnecessary procedure led to a delay in treatment of my cancer, and further compromising side effects.
It also prompted the radiation oncologist who assisted with my subsequent ACC investigation to call for an immediate complaint to the Medical Council.
Doctors are people, too, and while the New Zealand healthcare system is full of many dedicated and hardworking people, from time to time there will be issues. One measure of the overall health of the system is how well it deals with failings when they occur. In this case, it wasn't just the system that was found lacking, I would suggest the systems set up to police this system are failing, too.
It's been a year since I made a complaint to the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC), the watchdog body set up to protect patients. Last month, it decided to look into the case, a process it anticipates will take at least another six months - that's as an "urgent" case. The Medical Council, which says it has strong legal powers to protect patients from harm when a doctor falls short of its standards, has decided to wait for the HDC decision before taking any action.
COMPLAINTS BACKLOG
Denne historien er fra December 16-22, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra December 16-22, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
