Latest news with #HealthCommission
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Health and Disability Commission says operating budget $1.9m less than previous years
The Health and Disability Commission lost nearly 10 percent of its funding in this year's Budget. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Health and Disability Commission cannot yet confirm whether it will have to make any staff redundant after losing nearly 10 percent of its funding in this year's Budget. A spokesperson for the consumer health watchdog said the total operating budget was $1.9 million less than in previous years. "This is due to the end of time-limited funding ($2.9m) that was provided in 2021 and extended for 2024/25." That has been "partly offset" by an extra one-off $1m for the 2025/26 year to help the HDC clear a backlog of complaints. When asked whether any jobs would be lost as a result, the commission said no decisions had been made. "We are not in a position to comment any further until we have completed engagement with our staff. "We remain committed to fulfilling our critical function to uphold people's rights and manage complaints." The $2.9m in time-limited funding was introduced by the Labour Government in 2021, to ensure the HDC had capacity to protect the rights of patients using assisted dying services. The new government axed the funding in its 2024 Budget, but subsequently extended it for another year. According to its 2024 annual report, the number of complaints to the HDC increased 52 percent over five years. The 3628 complaints received by HDC in 2023/24 was the highest number of complaints ever received in a single year, which placed significant pressure and led to delays in resolving some of them. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
26-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
NZ Disability Advisory Trust and Nicholas Stoneman 'pose a risk' to vulnerable consumers
One person complained their diagnosis of autism seemed to have been done from a questionnaire only and cost them $700. File image. Photo: AFP A disability advocate and the organisation he works for have been labelled a risk to vulnerable consumers by the Health and Disability Commission which has taken the unusual step of naming them. The New Zealand Disability Advisory Trust (NZDAT) and Nicholas Stoneman were initially anonymous in a critical report by the commission late last year. That report raised shortcomings in an autism diagnosis, not engaging respectfully with clients, possible overcharging for services, and failing to address clients' concerns. One complainant said the Trust charged her $700 for a diagnosis of autism that seemed to have been done from a questionnaire only, the commission's report said. The accepted diagnosis practice was much more rigorous and the service had therefore failed to provide her with services of an appropriate standard, the report said. In response to another complaint, Stoneman told the commission the complainer, Mr A, was "a serious narcissistic autistic". Mr A had been upset when he learned about those comments. "I am concerned that when Mr Stoneman made these comments, he did not consider how disrespectful they were and how they would affect Mr A," the commission said. In an decision released on Monday, deputy commissioner Rose Wall said she was now naming Stoneman and the service because they had not carried out any of its recommendations. "In the circumstances, I consider Mr Stoneman and NZDAT pose a risk to other vulnerable consumers," she said. RNZ attempted to contact Stone and the Trust but none of the publicly listed numbers or websites were active. The Trust's email automatically bounced back, signed by Nick Stoneman. "The NZ Disability Advisory Trust Inc office is now closed for our hard working Disability Service Navigators to have some much needed leave we will do limited email checks over the office closure period," the auto reply said. The Commission's recommendations had included that the service and Stoneman take further training in autism and dealing clients with autism, improve their process and policies and make apologies to the complainants. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Man missed years of prostate cancer testing, commission finds
There was only one test for prostate-specific antigen levels in 2015-17. File photo. Photo: AFP The Health and Disability Commission has released its findings into a complaint by the man, referred to as Mr A in the report. Deputy Commissioner Vanessa Caldwell said following a prostate cancer diagnosis and successful treatment in 2012, the man's urologist advised him to have six-monthly prostate-specific antigen blood tests, and for the man to be referred back to the urologist should levels be detected. Prostate cancer - as well as other conditions - could cause prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in the blood to increase. The request from the urologist was noted by Mr A's GP, referred to in the report as Dr B, but there was no indication he set up a recall for testing. Mr A had three further PSA tests through the urologist, who he was still seeing for other issues after his surgery, with the last performed in January 2014. There appeared to be no PSA testing in 2015, one test completed in 2016, and no PSA testing in 2017, the report said. Dr B told the commissioner the medical centre's recall system between January 2014 and March 2018 was not working at optimal performance due to organisational changes. He said this included the amalgamation of three medical practices, high staff turnover and software system changes. Mr A was recalled for PSA testing in 2018, and then for annual testing. The report said from 2018 onward Mr A's PSA levels exceeded the level which should have sparked re-referral to the urologist, but no action was taken by the centre. The GP said the results from the pathologist indicated they were within the normal range He said each week he had to review between 400 and 600 documents, so results listed as normal were only given "minimal attention". Dr Caldwell said the clinic's PSA request form did not include any clinical details, so the pathologist did not know of Mr A's history of prostrate cancer or the urologists' instructions to be informed of any elevated results. The results between 2018 and 2021 were considered to be within the normal range of 0 - 3.99 ug/L, but in October 2022 a level of 67 ug/L was returned and Dr B notified Mr A. Further investigation found Mr A had recurrent prostate cancer which had spread to his bones. Dr Caldwell said the GP and the clinic did not meet their obligations to provide services with reasonable care and skill. Dr B said he and the centre have taken a number of steps to avoid the situation happening again. The clinic had changed its recall system, changed the way laboratory tests were made and reviewed, and hired a retired GP to review and manage laboratory results. Dr Caldwell recommended the GP and medical centre provide a formal apology to Mr A, and the centre should establish a process for surveillance and recall of ongoing laboratory testing. She also recommended Dr A reflect on how in future he could recognise when his workload was reaching a point where it might affect his ability to practise safely. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
My nose turned black after a rhinoplasty gone wrong: This is my warning to other people having plastic surgery
A Chinese actress whose nose turned black after a rhinoplasty caused her flesh to rot has highlighted the terrifying rise in botched procedures in China. Gao Liu is just one of many women who have fallen victim to evolving beauty standards in China, which puts them under pressure to have plastic surgery to enhance - and in some cases, transform - their appearance. Liu's story is investigated in BBC Eye documentary Make Me Perfect: Manufacturing Beauty in China, after she visited a clinic called She's Times in Guangzhou in 2020 for a nose job. Her surgeon Dr He Ming was billed the clinic's 'chief surgeon' and a nose surgery expert, however, Liu's operation resulted in the tip of her nose turning black due to lack of circulation. After seven days of worsening symptoms, she was transferred to a top public hospital, but the damage was permanent. After four years and two repair operations, her nose remains damaged. The investigation found that, despite Guangzhou's Health Commission announcing sanctions on the clinic and surgeon, he still appears to be operating, but in a clinic with a different name. Liu's story is one of many explored in the documentary which delves into the disturbing rise of botched operations in China as people opt for ever more daring procedures in the name of beauty. In China, good looks are seen as the key to career success, with videos promoting controversial beauty standards like extreme weight loss flooding social media, and beauty apps making surgery a click of a button away. China is seeing a boom in cosmetic surgery, with 20 million people a year paying for cosmetic procedures in the world's most populous country. Of these people, 80 per cent are women and the average age of people seeking cosmetic enhancements is 25 years old. The industry was once seen as taboo in Chinese society, but has increased in popularity thanks to social media, a gradual change in attitude and people having more disposable income. With changing attitudes come changing beauty standards; with the once longed-for 'Western' traits now less popular among clients. However, in place of the previously sought-after aesthetic which valued symmetrical faces, a sculpted jawline and a prominent, sharp nose, some dark trends are instead on the rise. Women are now chasing the 'hyper-feminine' look, to the point of being childlike, the documentary finds. Among the bizarre procedures being requested in China are Botox injected behind the ears to tilt them forwards - which creates the illusion of a smaller, daintier face. Women are also opting for lower eyelid surgery to widen the eyes, creating a childlike look inspired by Anime characters. Meanwhile, upper lip shortening narrows the space between lip and nose - which is thought to signal youth. And cosmetic surgery is easier than ever to access with the rise of apps including SoYoung (新氧 'New Oxygen') and GengMei (更美 'More Beautiful'). The apps, which are now extremely popular, claim to analyse a person's face to highlight the 'imperfections' they should correct. Singer and actress Gao Liu, who has starred in multiple films and TV programmes in China, had a nose surgery at a Guangzhou clinic called She's Times (熙施时光) in 2020 After seven days of worsening symptoms, she was transferred to a top public hospital, but the damage was permanent. After four years and two repair operations, her nose remains damaged Singer and actress Gao Liu sparked a heated discussion online after sharing the images revealing the tip of her nose has rotted away and fallen off After assessing users' faces, they provide surgery recommendations from nearby clinics, taking a commission from each operation. As celebrities, such as Gao Liu, continue to undergo cosmetic procedures in their droves, demand for such operations has risen significantly. However, this surge in demand has created a shortage of qualified professionals to carry out the procedures - resulting in a rise in reported accidents in Chinese clinics. After Gao Liu posted photos of her rotting nose on Chinese social media site Weibo, they went viral and horrified people around the world - which prompted authorities to act quickly. Within weeks, Guangzhou Health Commission announced sanctions on the clinic Gao Liu had visited, and her surgeon Dr He Ming. It turned out to be the sixth time the clinic had been sanctioned and, worryingly, it was revealed that Dr. He Ming was not qualified to carry out plastic surgery unsupervised. He was barred from practicing for six months and the clinic closed down soon after it was sanctioned for the sixth time. However, in a mysterious development, weeks before She's Times officially closed its doors, a new clinic called Qingya (轻雅 'Light and Elegant') requested to register at the same address. Investigating the incident, BBC Eye uncovered strong links between the two clinics, which are registered under different legal representatives. The reporters found that She's Times' Weibo account had switched up and begun to promote Qingya after it opened, with similar social media approaches and styles. Dr He Ming was also listed as a senior staff member at the new clinic. Records on the national database of health professionals show that Dr He only obtained the licensed plastic surgeon qualification in April 2024. However, the qualification shouldn't have been granted to him according to Guangdong Provincial Health Commission rules, which disqualifies surgeons who have been sanctioned by any health commission from obtaining the qualification/status for five years. Dr He Ming was sanctioned in 2021 - three years before he obtained the license. The BBC Eye documentary reveals secretly recorded footage from a consultation at Qingya clinic, where a staff member says Dr He Ming has been working at the clinic for 'seven, eight years' and had been nicknamed 'Nose King of Guangzhou' for completing the highest number of nose surgeries in the province in 2023. While Dr He Ming could only meet the patient briefly between operations, he said he's been carrying out nose surgeries since 2012. In November 2024, Dr He Ming started a social media account as a nose surgery expert. He claims to have nearly 20 years of experience and to have carried out 10,000 operations. Since it opened, Qingya has expanded to now operate 30 branches across the province. Following the BBC Eye investigation, neither the Qingya clinic nor Dr He Ming responded to requests for comment. The Guangdong Provincial Health Commission also did not respond to questions about why Dr He Ming was able to btain the licensed plastic surgeon qualification against their rules. The Chinese Embassy in the UK said in a statement: 'The Chinese government consistently requires enterprises to operate in strict compliance with national laws, regulations, and relevant policy provisions.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Karen Bass unveils her ‘very difficult budget' for LA
LOS ANGELES — Call it the Karen Bass special: a shot of optimism, followed by a bitter budget chaser. That was the incongruous combination the Los Angeles mayor debuted on Monday, when she presented an upbeat outlook in her annual State of the City address, only to drop a gloomy spending proposal that could result in 1,600 layoffs. The bracing split-screen is a result of the city's cascade of disasters: historically devastating wildfires, a perennial homelessness crisis and a bleak budget outlook made worse by global economic upheaval. It lays bare the daunting climb awaiting Bass, whose flat-footed initial fire response has left her more politically vulnerable than ever as she seeks reelection in 2026. Throughout her midday speech, Bass recounted Los Angeles' woes in her typically sunny cadence, presenting the challenges as an opportunity to further transform the nation's second-largest city. 'The state of our city is this: Homelessness is down, crime is down. These are tough challenges and they show that we can do so much more,' Bass said. 'We still have a long way to go. We need a citywide turnaround, and we need a fundamental overhaul of city government to deliver the clean, safe and orderly neighborhoods that Angelenos deserve — and to reverse decades of failure on homelessness.'When it came to the city's fiscal crisis, though, Bass kept it simple and blunt: 'Los Angeles, we have a very difficult budget to balance.' That acknowledgement kicked off in earnest crunch time in charting the city's coming fiscal year. On Monday, the deadline for Bass to unveil her budget proposal, the mayor released a $13.95 billion spending plan. The proposal closed the nearly $1 billion deficit that Bass and city leaders had telegraphed in previous weeks. To do so, it proposes 1,600 layoffs, a move the mayor said was a 'decision of absolute last resort.' The layoffs would represent nearly 5 percent of the 32,405 positions currently filled in the city's workforce. City officials, who were granted anonymity to speak before the details of the budget were released publicly, said no sworn officers from the police or fire departments would lose their jobs and that Bass will seek to avoid layoffs through negotiations with labor unions. 'We're also hoping to get some support from state government in order to mitigate or minimize the impact of layoffs on the budget,' one official said. Bass will be traveling to Sacramento later this week to make her case. Bass is also proposing to find savings by eliminating several commissions, including an advisory Health Commission and another for Climate Emergency Mobilization; consolidating city departments for aging, economic and workforce development and youth development into one department; and delaying certain capital projects. The city's financial woes predate the recent turmoil in global markets. Liability payments have tripled, and revenues from business, sales and hotel taxes have lagged. Bass, speaking of the fiscal crisis, called for 'fundamental change' in the city's operations and endorsed reforms such as multi-year budgeting and a capital improvement plan. She also restated her commitment to reform the city's charter — an effort that caught momentum after a series of scandals in City Hall but had stalled after the mayor failed to appoint members to a commission to tackle the issue. Bass said she would soon announce an executive director for the commission and name her appointees, with the goal of getting the panel going by the end of the month. Elsewhere in the speech, the mayor walked a finely calibrated line between boosterism and realism. She extolled the recovery from January's Palisades fire as 'the fastest in California history,' while acknowledging the impatience of fire victims for rebuilding to happen at a quicker clip. 'For those who have lost a home, each and every day is a day too long,' Bass said. 'We want to be fast, we want to be safe and we want to be resilient.' She announced a trio of additional efforts on Monday to streamline the rebuilding process, including calling on city council to back a measure to waive all plan check and permit fees. Elsewhere, there were glimpses of the speech she would be giving if not for the fires' destruction, as she touted double-digit percentage drops in crime and homelessness — two issues that Bass had invested significant political capital in tackling during her initial years in office. She acknowledged that Inside Safe, her signature program to move people out of street encampments and into motel rooms and other interim shelter, was not financially sustainable. But she had a pointed message for critics who said that she was spending too much on her priority cause. 'For me, housing these folks, saving lives and ending encampments that have been there for years and years — that is worth the cost,' she said. 'Because the cost of leaving an encampment on the street impacts everyone around … It is clear that the cost of doing nothing is not just inhumane, it is also financially unsustainable.' After roughly an hour of recounting the uphill climb that her city faces, Bass ended her speech playing the role of booster-in-chief, insisting that even a town as beset by obstacles in Los Angeles could, in just three years, be in the international limelight as the host the Summer Olympics. 'The games at its best are more than sport,' she said. 'They are a stage for courage, for potential, for dreams. So, LA — let's go win.'
