In December 2022, a routine ERCP procedure at Middlemore Hospital tragically led to the death of my mother from post-ERCP pancreatitis. Seeking answers and accountability, my family filed a complaint with both Middlemore Hospital and the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC). While Middlemore swiftly completed its investigation and recommended changes, we remain in agonising limbo, awaiting the HDC's findings nearly three years later.

Our experience has exposed a deeply concerning systemic issue: the HDC is severely under-resourced and overwhelmed, leading to unacceptable delays in investigations. Official Information Act (OIA) requests reveal an average investigation time of 893 days, up from 762 days in 2019/20. One of the Associate Commissioners acknowledges the 52% increase in complaints over five years, coupled with resource limitations.

Despite HDC requests for funding to modernise their outdated complaints management system, the previous government declined their plea. The Commissioner has publicly highlighted how these manual systems hinder investigations, with more time spent managing the system than the cases themselves.

After four months of engaging with the Minister of Health's office, we've received no concrete response regarding his plans to address the HDC's backlog and ensure timely investigations in the future.

For families like ours, this interminable wait is agonising. It prevents closure and prolongs the pain. It also leaves medical professionals in a state of uncertainty, unable to learn from potential mistakes. Our complaint was motivated by a desire to ensure lessons are learned and prevent others from suffering the same fate. The HDC's delays put lives at risk.

The government must take immediate action. The HDC is the only recourse for patients and families seeking answers and accountability. Years-long delays are simply unacceptable. Adequate funding, effective leadership, and modernized systems are urgently needed.

Our repeated attempts to obtain information from the HDC about their plans for improvement have been met with silence. We call on the government to recognise the urgency of this issue. The HDC needs the resources and support to fulfill its vital role, ensuring patient safety and fostering a culture of learning within our healthcare system.

Petition to the New Zealand Government: Address the Urgent Crisis at the Health and Disability Commissioner

To the New Zealand Parliament and the Minister of Health,

We are deeply concerned about the critical state of the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) and its inability to address complaints within a reasonable timeframe effectively. The current backlog and delays in investigations are causing immense distress to patients, families, and healthcare professionals, hindering accountability and impeding improvements in patient safety.

We urge the government to take immediate and decisive action to:

• Provide adequate funding: Allocate sufficient resources to the HDC to clear the backlog of investigations, modernise its outdated systems, and ensure it can handle the increasing volume of complaints effectively.
• Implement efficient processes: Support the HDC in adopting streamlined processes and technologies to expedite investigations without compromising thoroughness or fairness.
• Set clear timelines: Establish and enforce reasonable timeframes for the completion of investigations, providing transparency and accountability to both complainants and the healthcare system.
• Ensure effective leadership: Appoint and support strong leadership at the HDC to drive necessary changes and ensure the organisation's effectiveness in fulfilling its mandate.

The HDC plays a crucial role in upholding patient rights, promoting accountability, and driving improvements in healthcare quality and safety. Its current state of dysfunction is unacceptable and must be addressed urgently.

We call on the government to prioritise the needs of patients and families, ensure the HDC is adequately resourced and empowered to carry out its critical functions, and restore public trust in this essential institution.