Posts by Angela Hart
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Access: How many agencies does it take…, in reply to Marc C,
many agencies withhold lots of information for dubious reasons,
on that note you may be interested to have a look at case note reference 380335 here http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/resources-and-publications/case-notes/official-information-case-notes
which gives the Ombudsman's take on a particularly dubious reason for withholding information
-
Access: How many agencies does it take…, in reply to B Jones,
I have some thoughts on how you might cut through the bureaucracy – write to the Electricity Authority, your DHB, Minister for Energy, Minister of Health and Minister of Social Welfare. Cc them all in on the one letter so they know they’ll need to work together on a response.
It couldn't hurt to try, I will have a go along these lines, thanks B Jones
-
Access: How many agencies does it take…, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
Thanks Rosemary.
I was thinking that where there’s a fault requiring the linesman to have power turned off to a street or two, that if he was expected to check a readily available (to him) database for medically vulnerable customers, that would offer some safety options. He could phone the customer and give warning, check that they could cope, perhaps give them time to prepare by cutting another street first. But if the information is only available through electricity retailers, then it may be too difficult to access by frontline staff.
I guess I’m saying what is the point of a list of medically dependent customers if it isn’t/can’t be used effectively?
Both of the notifications we got, Powershop and Vector, were generic, went to everyone affected by this planned outage. The MDC list wasn’t used. Which is probably a good approach since not everyone who should be is necessarily on it.
-
I’ve read through the posts and the general opinion seems to be that responsibility lies mainly with the health people providing the equipment. I will put forward some of the suggestions for a flexible back-up system if and when I get the opportunity.
The other angle that occurred to me when this all happened was the database of medically vulnerable people. We had completed the forms and were on our retailer’s list, but I realised afterwards that Vector did not have the information unless it was accessed through our retailer.
I contacted Vector but they appear to have no provision for a database of their own. They put my query in as a complaint, which is still grinding through their system.
The retailers don’t do the work on the system, it’s the lines companies, so shouldn’t it be the lines companies who hold the information about vulnerable customers? Anyone know more about this? -
I’ve only once called for an ambulance, for a friend who’d been assaulted and concussed, but they were busy so the police, whom I had called about the attack on my quiet suburban street, took him in to A&E.
We think twice about calling an ambulance because of the cost and because they don’t always take kindly to a wheelchair and a caregiver going along- these things are not negotiable for us.
-
Access: How many agencies does it take…, in reply to ,
The helicopter was free north of Auckland, last time they winched me onboard.
Bloody hell! and you still sail?
-
Access: How many agencies does it take…, in reply to Joe Wylie,
Unlike enlightened places like Wellington, Chch doesn’t have a free ambulance.
So, are ambulance services in Wellington free to people being transported? They're not in Auckland.
-
Another opportunity to comment if you have the time and fortitude http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/new-zealand-health-strategy-consultation
-
Access: How many agencies does it take…, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
I’d just like to think there was a Plan B,
and C, D,…I'd be quite happy if I thought there was even a plan A in this context
-
Access: How many agencies does it take…, in reply to TracyMac,
I’m amazed that in-home medical equipment actually comes without a battery backup – even if only half an hour’s duration. I’m even more amazed that the health authority has no guidelines or provision for recommending/providing additional backup equipment for precisely this scenario.
It is odd. We regularly point out to various medical professionals that the feed pump we use has a battery built in but the respiratory equipment has no back-up. They think it's odd too. But nothing changes.