Consent provisions are in law for good reason
Having read Associate Prof Ben Gray’s ‘‘Consent rule change needed for doctor training’’ (Opinion ODT 15.5.26) I needed to take a few minutes to check I hadn’t misread what was being written.
Try explaining his ‘‘research’’ proposal to the many women who were intimately examined multiple times, by multiple ‘‘student doctors’’ at National Women’s Hospital whilst under anaesthesia, that was exposed by the Cartwright Inquiry.
Women had not consented to this invasive procedure (of which these were just one of the shocking breaches of trust identified in the inquiry).
Dame Silvia Cartwright’s report into the ‘‘unfortunate experiment’’ at National Women’s Hospital was seminal in ensuring all recipients of healthcare in New Zealand have a right to receive information that enables informed consent.
New Zealanders should be reassured that as health professionals we don’t take consent as a given in any situation whereby their wellbeing (either physical or mental) is put at risk, and this includes times when learners are present.
Frankly, I am shocked and somewhat concerned that there is any question as to whether informed consent about student doctor involvement in procedures should be reconsidered.
New Zealand can be proud that it has a strong and regulated position on informed consent.
I asked myself if I would trust this author to respect my agency and autonomy if I were receiving care?
As for the system issues mentioned in this article then I suggest they are approached as exactly that - system issues, not human rights issues.
Dr Teresa Bradfield
Pukerangi
Value decision
I have read with increasing dismay the negative reactions of those who do not choose to believe the facts relating to proposed gold mining in Central Otago.
Personal abuse of those courageous enough to speak out regarding legitimate concerns has no place in a civilised society such as ours.
Do those critics know that New Zealand sends 98,000 tonnes of e-waste to landfill every year?
With the present fluctuating gold price surely this is the perfect time to recycle the gold, platinum and rare earths that we are wasting after all the effort and environmental impacts of mining them, as well as the human cost.
I understand the world has between 216 and 244 thousand metric tonnes of gold mined throughout history, most of it held as jewellery, private investment and central bank reserves, and about 64,000 metric tonnes remain underground.
As an American commentator noted recently ‘‘The world has enough gold, a gold rush indicates poor economic decisions, and you can't eat gold'’.
Looking after the locals is the key to future prosperity, not gold mining.
Chris Henderson
Lumsden
Bowen Peak Ltd
What on earth is wrong with Chris Bishop?
Our council is against Bowen Peak development for very good reasons.
What right has he to go against our council’s years of well thought out planning, and the cost incurred?
He should be down here consulting. If the proposal has been denied twice that should be the end of it.
There are reasons for denying consent.
I know that area and have already written to the minister on the Homestead Bay development south of Queenstown and its traffic problems.
Remember 2794 people will mean another 4000 cars because most homes are two-car homes these days.
I know that area and wouldn’t live there for anything. The goose has certainly been cooked.
Lyndsey Hughes
Wanaka
A live question answered about TVNZ coverage
Yeo's excellent cartoon (ODT 14.5.26) of bunkered media personnel asking: “Remind me again... at what point did we become the main target?” asks a live question.
I can share my answer in relation to TVNZ.
My old-school dad watched the 6 o’clock news while I only saw it when visiting him.
A few years ago I was there to hear the news presenter begin: “Only 30% of Auckland ram-raid cases are solved by police.”
My problem was the first word, “only” and how reality was reported pre-assessed to bolster a conclusion.
Then during the last election campaign I relied on TVNZ for media coverage.
The election was generally a lollie scramble with daily updates in which TVNZ spent so much time promoting itself, its personnel and its gimmicks as if TVNZ was the major interest.
That is our TV media dealing with New Zealand life, and it fails to serve our political process well.
Francis Noordanus
Dunedin
A curse upon both houses
Sharing what you have with strangers, people you don't know and possibly would not like if you did know them, does not come naturally to most of us.
Some people are by nature exceptionally giving individuals but it is in the nature of most of us to be concerned chiefly with our own personal profit and wellbeing. Despite the gap between rich and poor accelerating, creating widespread discontent and hardship, the attitude seems to be let the have-nots look after themselves as I do.
Religious people may say it’s possible to change this attitude, for people to become more accepting and generous. Perhaps it is on an individual level. But is it possible to change society's views?
Attitudes are notoriously difficult to change, behaviour not so much. For instance, the ingrained behaviour of smoking in restaurants stopped overnight. All it took was a change in law.
Which is why, if we really want New Zealand to be a kinder, sharing society that respects all citizens, we should return to the Kiwi version of democratic socialism we were once rightly proud of.
Unfortunately, we have a government so entrenched in free-market capitalism, deregulation, and the sale of anything owned by the nation, the notion of sharing is a foreign concept.
And the government-in-waiting, the party that started the asset sales, has demonstrated it has no intention of honouring the men and women who established their party to fight for fairness and sharing.
It is time for fundamental change.
Christopher Horan
Lake Hawea
[Abridged: length.]
Tell all
The Dunedin City Council’s latest strategy for dealing with a wayward councillor is to remain tightlipped over his unco-operative behaviour “as [commentary] only encourages him” (ODT 15.5.26) to continue acting childishly. Well, I say voters need to know about his transgressions.
So bring it Ong.
Pat Duffy
Opoho
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