NEWS HR
July 10, 2019
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (HBDHB) has appointed Craig Climo as interim chief executive to replace outgoing chief executive Dr Kevin Snee.
July 9, 2019
A homeopathic consultant could be misleading the public by calling himself a doctor, according to the Ministry of Health. Raghubir Singh Rehan has operated Universal Homeopathic NZ in Papatoetoe, south Auckland, since 2007 under the nickname Dr Preet. Signage outside the business on Great South Rd says “doctor, open” surrounded in small print and its website refers to Rehan as “a qualified homeopathic consultant and well known doctor”. However, it was illegal to claim to be a health practitioner of a particular type if unqualified in that field under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act 2003, Ministry of Health chief legal advisor Phil Knipe said. A level 10 tertiary Doctoral Degree was required to obtain the title ‘doctor’ in New Zealand. Rehan’s Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University in India only translates to a level seven graduate diploma, certificate or bachelors degree. Rehan said Dr Preet was simply a nickname to avoid confusion over the pronunciation of his name, but he was free to use the title as it had been awarded to him in India.
July 9, 2019
Letitia O’Dwyer, from the Rangotai electorate area in Wellington, said that she intends to stand for the Capital & Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) elections 2019.
July 9, 2019
An experienced Christchurch physiotherapist has been struck off the register for professional misconduct including a request to massage near a patient’s “clitoral region”. The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal heard the case against Peter William Chum and announced its findings in Christchurch on Thursday. Chum faced 11 charges of professional misconduct over an appointment with a woman at her home on 2016. He denied all of the charges and did not appear before the tribunal. The complainant, whose name and identity were suppressed, had recently suffered a traumatic brain injury after an accident and was recovering after hospitalisation and surgery. Chum offered to come to her home. The woman had been referred to Chum for an assessment of vocal and swallowing problems as he specialised in this area. After assessing and treating the woman’s throat and neck muscles he offered to massage her lower back, saying muscle tension in that area could affect her vocal problems. She agreed and Chum requested she remove all of her clothes. The complainant said she thought that was strange and double checked. Chum confirmed she should take all her clothes off and put on a robe. Once she was lying face down on the massage table he asked her to remove her robe. She said Chum draped one towel over her and then asked her to roll over to lie on her back. As he worked on her hips, outer and then inner thighs he moved the towel to the side, exposing her. Each time he did this she tried to move the towel back into place. She became increasingly uncomfortable and “alarmed” as he moved higher up her inner thighs. The woman said she felt uncomfortable but did not ask Chum to stop because he seemed professional and so she thought “it must be normal”. When he asked if she was comfortable for him to massage near her clitoral region she said no and the massage stopped. The woman asked if he massaged other clients that intimate way. He told her he had and that it was helpful to release tension. She understood him to be referring to orgasm. He said in a statement to the tribunal he had not been referring to anything sexual in nature and she must have misunderstood him. She talked to friends about the appointment later that night and they told her to make a complaint. Chum, a registered physiotherapist for 13 years, was found guilty by the tribunal on Thursday of inadequate draping, unnecessary treatment and unwarranted and unwelcome touching of intimate areas of the complainant’s body. He was also found guilty of malpractice, negligence and bringing the profession of physiotherapy into disrepute for all but one charge. Chair David Carden said the tribunal found insufficient evidence Chum engaged in a conversation of a sexual nature after the treatment.
July 8, 2019
An 81-year-old man living in a Hawke’s Bay rest home is devastated after thieves stole his mobility scooter. Jack Simpson said it was as if someone had stolen his entire independence. Simpson was coming back home to Brittany House Residential Care in Hastings on Friday night when he decided to park the scooter next to an aviary on the grounds near his living quarters. He said he did this rather than park it inside the building where scooters are securely stored because of his previous troubles accessing the building late at night.
July 2, 2019
A retirement village accused of enforcing a “lockdown” following an outbreak of gastro has denied the claims, saying it would “never lock anyone in”. Evelyn Page Retirement Village in Orewa has been dealing with an outbreak of suspected norovirus since June 16, with a total of 43 cases since. A resident said she had not been allowed to leave her room and felt like she was “living in a jail”. She also claimed visitors were being turned away. And, the daughter of another resident was told that the village was in “lockdown” and she couldn’t visit. However, Ryman Healthcare corporate affairs manager David King said the village was not in lockdown. “We have written to families and residents letting them know, and said they are welcome to visit, but have to take precautions,” he said. “What is correct is we’ve suspended all communal activities, where large numbers of people would normally get together, while they have the bug, because that is how bugs spread.”
July 1, 2019
Rare Disorders NZ has confirmed the appointment of Lisa Foster as Chief Executive.
June 26, 2019
Wellington family doctor Deane Drew will be struck off the register after entering sexual relationships with four women patients while prescribing them addictive and psychoactive drugs. The Health Practitioner’s Disciplinary Tribunal announced its finding of professional misconduct and decision to cancel Drew’s registration in a hearing in Wellington on Tuesday. He can apply to re-register as a doctor at any time, at which time he would be required to undertake a sexual misconduct assessment test. If accepted back into the profession, he would have to comply with all Medical Council requirements for three years, including the requirement to have a chaperone and the oversight of prescribing practice. Further employers would have to be told of the registration cancellation for three years. On behalf of the tribunal, chair Alison Douglass acknowledged Drew’s acceptance of the charges, his appearance at the hearing and apology. The finding of professional misconduct related to “both sexual misconduct, and in the prescribing of psychotropic medications to four complainants whom you knew were particularly vulnerable over an extended period of time,” Douglass said. Drew was fined $3000 and ordered to pay 35 per cent of total costs of the investigation and tribunal. Drew earlier admitted entering inappropriate sexual relationships with vulnerable women while they were his patients and he was prescribing them addictive drugs. All had mental health issues. Drew told one victim he “wondered if [they] would be lovers” during one consultation, giving her gifts of money, flowers and lingerie and taking her out for meals. Near the end of a sexual relationship with another victim, he texted her: “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.” Drew asked another victim to go for a dive and a walk with him, spending time on his boat in the Marlborough Sounds. Sexual contact also happened during surgical consultations. Counsel Harry Waalkens told the Health Practitioners Medical Tribunal Drew deserved credit for appearing at the hearing and for being responsible enough for admitting guilt at an early stage. Most medical practitioners, facing such an “immense falling from grace,” would not show themselves at a tribunal, he said. Drew accepted a finding of professional misconduct should be made, with censure and cancelled registration. His lawyer argued he should not pay more than 25 per cent of the tribunal’s costs. Drew had not been working as a doctor for two and a half years, and was now living off life savings, Waalkens said.
