Disabled people's access to health system - or lack of it - laid bare

29 minutes ago

Rose Wall.

Photo: LANCE LAWSON / SUPPLIED

A report on disabled people's experiences of health services says improvements are needed across sectors to reduce barriers to care.

The report by the Health and Disability Commissioner delves into complaints made to her office between 2023 and 2025.

Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall says the report reflects concerns disabled people have been raising for years.

"What we have undertaken is a study of the complaints that disabled people have raised with us over three years - so that's 1800 complaints - and we took an in-depth analysis of a subset of those to identify the barriers, the explicit and implicit bias that continue to exist in our health system and the impact this has for disabled people and their experience of care, and the safety and quality of care they receive," she told Morning Report on Friday.

"We're extremely concerned that disabled people's rights are not being upheld."

The report's website said it looked at 'how gaps in service design, communication and coordination within and between agencies negatively impact on disabled people's experiences and outcomes".

"A close review of 176 complaints highlighted recurring issues relating to person-centred care, cultural responsiveness, informed consent, understanding and management of coexisting health and disability conditions, and coordination of care across services."

Wall said many of the issues had been going on for years, such as:

"not recognising that the disabled person is an expert in their own care"

inappropriate accommodation

the use of restraint (both "chemical and physical")

a "lack of cultural responsiveness, both for Tangata Whaikaha Maori and the deaf community, but other disabled groups as well"

a lack of informed consent

little coordination between disability and other health systems

the actual quality of care.

One example given in the report highlighted a wheelchair user having to take their own ramp to medical appointments at a non-accessible clinic.

Rose Wall.

Photo: LANCE LAWSON / SUPPLIED

There was also a non-verbal person who waited hours before a nurse realised they could answer questions by nodding or shaking their head.

"Understandably in the health system at the moment which is under pressure, there is workforce shortages, there is increasing demands which is impacting on access and we're extremely concerned about the further impact this will have for disabled people who are already struggling in the health system," Wall said.

She recommended Health New Zealand work with Disability Support Services on the issues.

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