NEWS HR

August 13, 2019

A former heritage trust chairwoman has accused her fellow trustees of being “dysfunctional”, following her resignation. Former Lawrence Chinese Camp Charitable Trust chairwoman Adrienne Shaw said this week she had left the trust as she felt fellow board members lacked the “time, energy and passion” to move the heritage site’s ambitions forward. Her resignation called into question plans announced last year to develop the 150-year-old gold-rush camp into a multipurpose visitor complex, for an estimated $4.5million. Geraldine resident Ms Shaw had been instrumental in driving the plans and establishing a target date of 2025. In a July 27 email to friends and associates, she said she had resigned “due to ongoing differences in opinion and styles”. However, Ms Shaw said she felt she had been “ambushed” by other trustees during a recent annual meeting. “I’m a positive, solution-focused person and, stepping away as I now have, I can see that perhaps clashed with entrenched dysfunctional elements of the board.

August 9, 2019

A man who punched his partner repeatedly in the chest as she lay in bed is trying to have his assault conviction overturned because he wants to become a youth social worker. The 34-year-old, who has interim name suppression, was earlier convicted of assault on a person in a family relationship for the late March attack. According to the summary of facts, the couple were at their Blenheim home when, in conversation, “the defendant took offence to the views of the victim in relation to a male he had previously had an altercation with”. He became aggressive and verbally abusive towards her, and she punched him in self defence before fleeing to a neighbour’s house, asking them to call police. The neighbours came with the victim back to the house to confront the man. “The defendant commenced a physical altercation with these persons while the victim went to her bedroom and attempted to go to sleep,” the summary said. It is unclear what occurred during this physical altercation, but directly afterwards the man came into the bedroom and confronted his partner, approaching her while she lay in bed and punched her hard in the torso about eight times with a closed fist. The judge has reserved his decision.

August 9, 2019

Doctor Deane Drew had been starting sexual relationships with multiple patients over decades of practice and prescribed medications to a patient who was abusing them. The Wellington practice owner was last month struck off by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (HPDT), which today released its written decision. The tribunal’s decision reveals all of these patients were vulnerable through their own mental health issues. The tribunal also found a text message from the doctor to one of the patients saying “please don’t lay a complaint as it could ruin my life and that would be pretty harsh for abusing your trust and treating you badly”. HPDT chair Alison Douglass said: “There was a severe departure from accepted standards and the seriousness of the conduct warrants a disciplinary sanction.” As a result, on top of the fine and $28,966 of costs, Douglass ordered that Drew’s medical registration be cancelled and conditions be imposed that he needed to meet before he could apply for re-registration. They also recommended to the Medical Council that further conditions to be placed on his practice if the he was re-registered in the future. Drew, a former part owner of the Lambton Quay practice City Medical, had been prescribing drugs of dependence and psychotropic medications to all of the women while he was in a close personal relationship with them.

July 19, 2019

Former Mercy Hospital chief executive Sister Mary Lucia has died. She was in her 63rd year of religious profession.

July 19, 2019

The Latrobe Community Health Service Ltd and the Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union and Another have a (s.576(2)(aa) – Promoting cooperative and productive workplace relations and preventing disputes) set for hearing hearing by Fair Work Commissioner Harper-Greenwell 20/24 Philip Parade Churchill 3842.

July 12, 2019

Aveo Group is facing a s.372 (Application to deal with other contravention disputes) before Fair Work Deputy President Lake in chambers in Brisbane (Janicska).

July 11, 2019

Southern Cross Health Society has created a new role to help it meet the future needs of members, appointing health sector leader Dr Lester Levy into the position. Dr Levy will act as Strategic Advisor – Future of Healthcare in a part-time capacity, advising and helping to shape the Society’s overall strategy. In particular evolving the future operating model and plans for digital health and value-based contracting to achieve optimum health outcomes.

July 10, 2019

A chiropractor’s claim that a patient she had sex with was her “partner” has been rejected by the Health Practitioners’ Disciplinary Tribunal. The woman, who has name suppression, was charged with acting in an inappropriate manner by engaging in an intimate or sexual relationship with a current patient. At a hearing in Auckland on Tuesday, the tribunal found she had committed professional misconduct and censured her. The chiropractor, referred to as Ms N, had admitted having a sexual relationship with the man, Mr H, while treating him between February and May 2017. But her lawyer Hannah Stuart argued the charge should be dismissed because the pair knew each other socially before he became her patient, their sexual relationship was “minor” and there was no power imbalance. The Chiropractic Board’s Code of Ethics states a chiropractor cannot have a sexual relationship with a patient “unless that patient is the chiropractor’s spouse or partner”. However, Anita Miller, the lawyer representing the Professional Conduct Committee, alleged Mr H was “clearly” not Ms N’s partner as their relationship had been casual and brief. Miller said sleeping with a patient was a serious breach of professional boundaries, regardless of whether it was consensual. The tribunal heard Ms N and Mr H met and became friends at a martial arts gym where they both trained in Brazilian jujitsu in October 2016. The following January, Mr H hurt his back and sought treatment from Ms N. At the time they were “just friends”, Ms N said. But, one night in February, the pair went out together in a group and Ms N invited Mr H back to her house, where she became “flirty” and they slept together. After that, they started seeing each other about two to five times per week and stayed at each other’s homes. Ms N said she made it clear to Mr H the relationship was not exclusive, but she did not see anyone else. She treated Mr H for his back injury a further six times between February and May and stopped charging him for the sessions. The chiropractor informed her employer about the nature of the relationship in April. About that time, the pair started arguing. They went on holiday over Easter, and while looking at Ms N’s phone without her consent Mr H discovered she planned to end the relationship. Later, Ms N admitted to wanting to end the relationship. Mr H became upset and took drugs and sleeping pills. Ms N said she tried to support him as a friend but the sexual relationship continued until May 27. In August 2017, Mr H complained to the Chiropractic Board about Ms N’s conduct. The complaint was heard by the tribunal, which ultimately decided Mr H was not Ms N’s partner. If and when Ms N returned to practice in New Zealand during the next three years she would be required to complete training or courses in ethical obligations and professional standards. The tribunal ordered Ms N to pay a quarter of the total investigation and tribunal costs of $60,796. It said Ms N “showed an overall lack of awareness and a degree of naivety about having a sexual relationship with a patient.