Did Health New Zealand indicate at any point, after 1 April 2026, whether the concerns the Ombudsman raised about Wakari Hospital Ward 10A were different from those raised in 2022, and if so, on what date did that indication occur?

Answer

I have had many conversations with officials about the findings from the Ombudsman report, as the Member would expect. I would also refer the Member to the publicly available 2022 report: https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/sites/default/files/2022-02/Report%20on%20an%20unannounced%20inspection%20of%20Ward%2010a%20and%20Helensburgh%20Cottage%2C%20Wakari%20Hospital%20Dunedin%2C%20under%20the%20Crimes%20of%20Torture%20Act%201989.pdf. Health New Zealand provided me with a timeline in late June 2026 outlining events relating to Ward 10A. That timeline had documented concerns from 2019 that said the review findings indicated that Wakari Hospital mental health facilities were not fit for purpose and that facility design and condition created safety risks for patients and staff and impacted care delivery. Reporting also noted high rates of incidents and staff injuries in Ward 10A. It also had details from the OPCAT inspection in May 2021, released in 2022, that said concerns were identified regarding the mixing of forensic and non-forensic patients, restrictive practices, lack of gender separation, seclusion and restraint practices, advocacy access and the physical condition of Ward 10A. The Ombudsman concluded that Ward 10A was not fit for purpose and that its condition compromised patient dignity and patient and staff safety. That’s why, as the member knows, I have made clear with officials my disappointment that agencies were slow to respond to issues that had already been identified.