ACC and its treatment of me in 1997

 

 

 

On Tuesday March the 18th 1997, I had an operation under the orders of ACC that left me disabled and in pain. At the time of the operation, both ACC and the surgeon had a copy of the test results. These were leaked to me by a person unknown within ACC six years later.

 

I was never meant to see this paperwork. I was never meant to see the results of the Duplex Scan or the report written by the surgeon that totally misrepresented the Duplex Scan Results.

 

ACC and the surgeon decided that I had Varicose Veins in both legs and ACC required me to have surgery done to remove these veins. The Duplex Scan Results did not identify any problems with my veins.

 

 

 

History of Events:

 

 

1.    Prior to January 1997 – My Case Manager; Erica Anderson referred me to ACC Medical Case Review Officer Fiona Conlon. She wrote a letter to Surgeon Christopher Michael Holdaway in his Private Practise dated 6 January 1997. I was ordered to go and see him.

 

2.    I initially saw Holdaway on 13 January 1997.

 

3.    I went and had a Duplex Scan on February 18 1997. The results of the Duplex Scan (which I didn’t see until years later) did not identify any problem with my veins.

 

4.    I saw Holdaway again after the Duplex Scan and prior to the surgery. He NEVER told me that the scan could not find any fault in my veins.

 

5.    After seeing the Duplex Scan Results,  Holdaway wrote a fictitious report to ACC dated 10 March 1997

 

6.    Holdaway Operated on me on March 18 1997. He removed veins from both of my legs.

 

7.    Holdaway saw me a number of times following the surgery.

 

8.    I was removed from ACC Compensation in early August 1997 because my so called condition was so called medical. This was done in a meeting ordered by ACC Hamilton Branch Manager Joanna Spring.

 

9.    The Duplex Scan Results have been provided in a plain English version. It is located here.

 

 

ACC claim that Anderson never ordered me to have the surgery. This outright lie is based on the fact that this order was never recorded in Pathway by Anderson. (Pathway never existed at his stage).

 

1.    The results of the Duplex Scan are also not recorded in Pathway (so I guess that they don’t exist either).

 

2.    The fact that Holdaway miss-represented the Duplex scan results in his report to ACC dated 10 March 1997.

 

I went to surgery:

 

1.    Under coercion from ACC that if I did not have the surgery, I would be “cut off and the Department of Social Welfare would be informed”.

 

2.    Without being told the truth of my condition and the truth was that there was nothing wrong with the veins in my legs.

 

3.    Without seeing or knowing the TRUTH of the Duplex Scan Results.

 

Both ACC and the Health System have a code of rights. One of these rights is to be fully informed and the other is not to be coerced into any procedure. Both of these rights were violated in my case. I had no rights.

 

 

I was removed from ACC compensation at a meeting organised by Spring in July 1997. I have been on an invalids benefit since then.