Disclosure of treatment injury in New Zealand's no-fault compensation system

Abstract

In July 2005 New Zealand became the first country to establish comprehensive no fault coverage for all treatment injury. This paper reports on a study of disclosure policies and practices related to treatment injury within the New Zealand hospital system. All 21 district health boards (DHBs), which provide publicly funded hospital services, were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire, with 90% responding. This was followed by an extended telephone interview with the chief clinical advisers and quality managers of 11 DHBs. Most respondents reported that their boards had an established policy or were developing one. DHBs reported a high level of disclosure practice, even for preventable harm. All indicated that disclosure was now felt to be safer than non-disclosure, although this view was not shared by all grassroots clinicians. The New Zealand experience may point to ways of achieving fairer and accessible compensation for patients.