So we should, whether it involves prisoners, mental health patients, or those with intellectual disability.
Any tolerance for poor treatment reflects badly on us all, but it can be too easy to look the other way.
Mr Allen’s torture comment was made last week in the wake of a March visit by his inspectors to Ward 10a at Wakari Hospital.
This was part of the office’s role under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
In his statement about the inspectors’ visit he said he was disturbed by what inspectors found.
They were some of the worst practices his officers had observed anywhere.
As well as the secluded patient, other concerns included a patient being tied down on a bariatric evac mat to move them around the ward, withholding toileting from patients to supposedly incentivise good behaviour, restrictions on dental care, the possible unlawful administration of medication, and patients denied access to their own money.
The 12-bed ward is a secure unit which provides treatment and rehabilitation services for people over the age of 18 with an intellectual disability who have been convicted of criminal offences, or who demonstrate behaviours assessed as posing a serious risk to themselves or others.
Mr Allen found it extraordinary the practices observed were occurring in a New Zealand facility and that it required his office to be involved in raising the issues with senior leaders in the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora in order to get action.
It is beyond extraordinary. It is scandalous and irresponsible.
The hellish physical conditions in this ward are years old.
They have been written about repeatedly, including in 2022 by the previous chief ombudsman Peter Boshier.
He described the facilities as unacceptable, Third World and volatile, and, in an interview, also said the inspection then had given him the most concern of any facility his office had inspected.
That was quite something, given Sir Peter’s well known railing against the state of some of our Corrections facilities, the treatment of prisoners there and the reluctance of prison management to move on his concerns
Properly caring for the types of patients who would be admitted to this ward will never be straightforward, but it is no doubt made more difficult by the state of these facilities.
Last week the HNZ board agreed to close ward 10a with its future yet to be determined.
There had been plans for a refurbishment this year, which had drawn criticism from some who felt it would not go far enough, but we wonder what sort of oversight of the ward had been going on in the wait for improvements.
It should have been closely monitored by HNZ, the Ministry of Health, the service’s funder the Ministry of Social Development, and even relevant politicians at the national level, given what was known about the difficulties for everyone in this environment.
We agree with Mr Allen there should be a review of the whole operation of Wakari Hospital and the systems at play there.
At this stage, the Ministry of Health has agreed to undertake an investigation into serious concerns raised about treatment, conditions and oversight at the ward.
A wider review of forensic intellectual disability services nationally is also to be undertaken in partnership with MSD.
Any investigations must not be whitewash jobs and there must be much better communication with everyone affected, and the public, than we have seen to date from the health agencies.
We hope Mr Allen’s confidence action will be taken now is not misplaced.
This awful saga must not go back to being out of sight, out of mind.
