It's time we went back to first principles on ACC. Because there's been so much politicking over it, the corporation's original intent tends to be lost in the increasingly acrimonious mists of spin and misinformation.
Prime Minister John Key is backing the way ACC staff, paid bonuses to reduce the number of long-terms claimants on the corporation's books, have handled claimants.
ACC seems particularly accident-prone these days, with the latest issue being the payment of bonuses to staff who successfully cut numbers on the long-term ACC roll.
ACC boss Ralph Stewart says a performance-pay scheme, which rewards staff for increasing the number of long-term clients they remove from the organisation's books, does not detract from a core focus of quality care.
People off work due to injury are likely to suffer high rates of depression and suicide, new research suggests.
The political firestorm over ACC intensified yesterday with the resignation of chief executive Ralph Stewart triggering an urgent parliamentary debate over the changes needed at the state-owned accident insurer.
The political firestorm over ACC intensified yesterday when the resignation of chief executive Ralph Stewart triggered an urgent parliamentary debate over the changes needed at the state-owned accident insurer.
The resignation yesterday of Ralph Stewart as chief executive of the Accident Compensation Corporation, hard on the heels of the departure of chairman John Judge and two other directors, explodes any notion of an orderly process of incremental change at the organisation. Rather it has, self-evidently, become one of radical crisis management.
ACC chairman John Judge is to go following fresh revelations about the Bronwyn Pullar privacy breach this week.
An Otago ACC claimant support body has highlighted concerns about an "extremely broad" consent form claimants are being required to sign.
A successful claim for ACC payments for mental injury could result from a case in which an Otago woman had a mastectomy by mistake earlier this year, Dunedin ACC lawyer Peter Sara says.
ACC Minister Judith Collins is refusing to comment on speculation she will not follow through on her threat to sue Radio New Zealand for defamation.
ACC minister Judith Collins has told an employers group that ACC needs to rebuild public trust and had fallen short in protecting privacy after controversies and complaints about it.
Work on the privatisation of ACC was progressing well but ACC Minister Judith Collins would only say yesterday that announcements would be made about employer choice in due course.
If it surprises even some MPs that the Accident Compensation Corporation runs a claims process for "important" people, then it is just as well an inquiry by the Auditor-general into how ACC manages conflicts of interest has been announced.
Dunedin lawyer Peter Sara is urging ACC to "come clean" over the details of its controversial "VIP claims" handling policy but ACC says it will not comment until the Privacy Commissioner completes an inquiry in three months.
A Dunedin falls prevention programme run by Age Concern Otago is to lose vital ACC funding.
ACC Minister Judith Collins is planning legal action against two Labour Party politicians and a media outlet for alleged defamation.
Dunedin ACC campaigner Dr Denise Powell has hailed the Auditor-general's decision to investigate controversial ACC-related issues not already in the spotlight as part of a separate inquiry by the Privacy Commissioner.
In the spotlight over confidentiality breaches and allegations of preferential treatment, ACC has come under renewed attack over suggestions its "VIP claims" handling policy delivers better protection for the privacy of powerful decision makers, including MPs, judges and ACC board members.
