Health NZ apologises over paused bowel cancer procedures - but what next?

Health NZ apologises for lack of communication after surveillance procedure pause in Palmerston North

Patient advocate affected asks what's next?

Doctor union head says it shouldn't have taken a public meeting to prompt an apology

A Manawatū resident at higher risk of developing bowel cancer says he appreciates an apology from Health NZ about a lack of communication over paused procedures at Palmerston North Hospital - but Patient Voice Aotearoa's Malcolm Mulholland wants to know what's next.

In 2024, he was one of more than 800 people who received a letter from Health NZ saying surveillance colonoscopies at the hospital were on pause.

The letters prompted community concern, including a public meeting, but until last week, no apology was issued.

That came at another public meeting, held to discuss how the hospital's gastroenterology department now had no permanent specialist doctors, and relied on locums and temporary specialists.

Mulholland spoke at that meeting, organised by the senior doctor union - Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - and said the letter he received promised an update on the situation in 2025.

That never came, prompting Health NZ executive national director for clinical Dr Richard Sullivan to apologise for the lack of communication. He said officials must do better.

Sullivan said the region was doing okay now for diagnostic procedures such as colonoscopies, as specialists from neighbouring regions were called on to help.

During a colonoscopy, a patient's large intestine is examined by a camera on the end of a tube.

Mulholland told RNZ said it was good to hear Health NZ acknowledge it had dropped the ball.

"The other part of the apology that I was wanting to hear is what's the plan moving forward? It's been 18 months since we've heard anything from Health New Zealand.

"There would be still patients out there waiting of those 800 people who were notified they would no longer receive a surveillance colonoscopy, who would be wondering, 'Am I in trouble here?'

"It requires correspondence to all of those patients who are affected to know where we stand and what the plan is moving forward."

Mulholland said he had the means to get the procedure done privately, costing between $5000-10,000, but others wouldn't be as lucky.

Health NZ central region executive regional director Chris Lowry said: "We took note of the feedback about our failure to communicate with patients and GPs, and we intend to provide an update to both groups shortly."

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said it was good to hear the apology, but it shouldn't have taken a public meeting to get that.

Figures obtained by RNZ showed that, in early May, 239 people were waiting for a surveillance colonoscopy through Palmerston North Hospital. Of those, 161 were waiting outside the recommended timeframe of 84 days.

There were 247 people with symptoms waiting for the procedure and, again, 161, were waiting for longer than recommended - 42 days in that case.

At last week's meeting, Sullivan also confirmed the lowering of the bowel screening age from 60-58 was delayed at Palmerston North Hospital, being introduced on 1 July, rather than as expected in March.

"This provided time to ensure the MidCentral district can accommodate the additional follow-up appointments, after participants return a positive screening test," Lowry told RNZ.

She said the timing for the drop to 56, as announced in the budget, was yet to be confirmed for each region.