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We have also made
recommendations
for real and lasting
improvements
to health and
disability services
and systems.
6
1.2 Entity performance: Highlights
My Offi ce is committed to promoting
and protecting the rights of health and
disability service consumers in New
Zealand. This year, HDC has had many
successes and we have met our key
priorities in a number of ways.
We have successfully responded to an
increased number of complaints, helping
many consumers achieve resolution
to concerns about the standard of
care they received. We have also made
recommendations for real and lasting
improvements to health and disability
services and systems. Of the 1,380
complaints closed during 2011/12, 44
were formal investigations, resulting in
29 breach opinions and 8 referrals to the
Director of Proceedings. HDC continues
to report a very high level of compliance
with recommendations made following
the complaints resolution process (99.2%).
I have also appointed a new Deputy
Commissioner responsible for
complaints resolution.
HDC continues to provide six-monthly
reports to District Health Boards (DHBs)
on the numbers and types of complaints
received about services provided by
DHBs, and this year HDC staff also held
complaints management workshops to
facilitate effi cient and effective complaints
resolution processes. In addition, we
organised a successful National Disability
Conference, with the theme Fostering a
Culture of Consumer Engagement.
One of the signifi cant highlights for
the year was the announcement that
HDC would be taking on some of the
functions of the former Mental Health
Commission (MHC), effective 1 July 2012.
In particular, the functions of systemic
advocacy and monitoring of mental health
and addictions services. This change has
implications for organisational roles,
capacity, skills, relationships and resourcing.
The HDC and the Mental Health
Commissioner spent several months prior
to 30 June 2012 preparing for the transfer
of hard copy and electronic records,
documentation and publications, including
relevant information from the MHC’s
website. Offi ce accommodation continues
to be reconfi gured to include the Mental
Health Commissioner and members of
her team. Key stakeholders in the mental
health and addictions sector were kept
informed of the transition progress.
Preparation for the transition also included
developing an interim work plan to include
in the Health and Disability Commissioner’s
Statement of Intent for 2012–2015.
It is a privilege for the HDC to take on board
the advocacy and monitoring roles of the
former MHC. We are committed to the
successful integration of the new functions,
and to ensuring that the consumer voice is
central in all of our work. We will continue
to build on the gains already achieved in
the mental health and addiction sector
over the past decade. The former MHC and
HDC share many common goals: both act
as independent advocates for the rights of
consumers of health, disability and mental
health and addiction services and provide
advice on how to improve services
for consumers.