Dear Supporters,

Today marks the 974th day since our complaint was sent to the HDC and our file is still awaiting allocation to an investigator. I struggle with finding the right words to describe how absurd this is....

While we wait for the HDC to figure out how they are going to clear their backlog of complaints while also figuring out what impact a $3M reduction in their budget will have, at least there is a tiny bit of good news to share. 

After more than two years and a lot of pushing from me, Middlemore Hospital has finally updated its ERCP procedure guidelines. The guidelines are now in line with international best practices. These guidelines now specifically state that if the bile duct is cannulated (which happened to our mum), then an anti-inflammatory will be given, and a stent will be placed. These two things reduce the chances of pancreatitis developing by 50%. If these two things were given to our mum there is a very good chance that she would still be with us today. 

My focus now changes to ensure that these guidelines are adopted nationally. According to Middlemore, this will need to be done at the Ministry level, so it is likely it won't happen for some time. 

Kind regards,
Gareth