Harm in Healthcare

In New Zealand, thousands of people who suffer injuries during medical care are denied the support they need to recover, simply because they weren’t in paid employment at the exact moment they were injured. This is an issue that needs urgent attention.

I’m a nurse and I’ve been fighting for my right to income support after a medical injury in 2021. Despite the fact that ACC accepted my injury as a treatment injury, I was denied compensation for recovery because I wasn’t in paid employment at the time.

I was studying full-time, a solo parent and a volunteer in my community when I was injured during surgery. I now work full-time in healthcare  both as a nurse and a medical receptionist. The injury has left me with a permanent disability and I now face upcoming surgery, as a direct result of the injury, but will have no income support to recover.

But it’s not just me. I’ve obtained official data from ACC that there were 17,005 people with accepted treatment injures between July 2024 and June 2025, and the majority, more than 10,600 were classed as "non-earners". That classification affects a person's eligibility for income compensation and access to treatment and rehabilitation not just at the time, but forever.

What I've Done and Why I Need Your Support:

I fought ACC and lost. I've reached out to legal and advocacy services and been told this is the law. I've written to politicians who have shown little interest in changing this. I'm not going to stay silent any longer, and I need your help to demand change. 

Human Rights at Stake:

By denying people income compensation for treatment injuries based solely on their employment status on the date of injury, we are violating their fundamental rights. Under the Human Rights Act 1993, discrimination on employment status and disability is prohibited. Yet this is exactly what is happening to those that are injured during medical care. The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 grants everyone the freedom from discrimination.

This flaw in ACC legislation disproportionately affects people who already face barriers to health. The data obtained shows the majority of people injured in healthcare don't "earn". This means the people who are more likely to be harmed already face financial barriers to accessing health, and are then faced with further barriers to recover after injury.

How You Can Help:

Sign this petition and join me in calling on the Ministry of Health and ACC to support all people harmed during medical care to recover. Together, we can create a fairer system to ensure that no one is left behind. 

Please sign and share this petition so that we can reform the legislation to align with NZ Human Rights protections, Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under UN convention to ensure people who are harmed in healthcare can recover with dignity and support.

It's time to end discrimination and fix this gap!

(Photo is of me after surgery in 2021, before I knew this treatment injury would change my life).