- Coroner-calls-inquest-into-decade-old-death-of-patient-at-Waikato-Hospital
- Family-still-in-dark-over-mums-death-after-chemotherapy-treatment
- Family-of-cancer-patient-carmen-walker-who-bled-to-death-write-to-solicitor-general-Una Jagose-to-seek-new-coroners-inquest
- Second-coroners-inquest-into-death-of-waikato-hospital-patient-carmen-walker-denied
- Solicitor-general-orders-new-inquiry-into-waikato-hospital-death -Audio
- Solicitor-general-orders-new-inquiry-into-waikato-hospital-death
In the media
Adam on Campbell Live
Interviewed whilst still exhausted after an “all-nighter” reconstructing a little girl who had been mauled by two pit bulls, I was, in hindsight, too harsh about certain dog breeds. I still believe firmly that problems with dogs are down to their owners and everyone is responsible for their dog’s actions and some people shouldn’t be allowed a dog licence.
Adam and Steve on City Hospital
City Hospital, the medical documentary TV series that aired every weekday at 10am on the BBC between 1998 – 2007 was reality TV at its best. Broadcast live from Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Hospital, it featured real patients and staff with live-to-air footage of surgery, consultations and the drama that occurred daily within NHS hospitals. It elegantly combined reality with appropriate drama and education. It was immensely popular with the public with the last series being watched by well over a million viewers each weekday (which was fully a quarter of the UK television audience at that time of day).
I had managed to dodge it for years, claiming to have the body and face for radio, rather than video; but in one of the last episodes they screened, two of my patients were asked to take part and I was interviewed by Wendy Richard, the guest presenter that day in one of her final appearances before her untimely death.
This is my friend Steve, who needed a new nostril after a basal cell carcinoma left with a large defect to reconstruct.
Adam and Carl on City Hospital
Carl grew up in New Zealand, although his melanoma was diagnosed while he was living in the UK. By UK standards, where sun exposure is nothing like that we experience in New Zealand, he was very young to get a melanoma. He kindly agreed to be interviewed to educate the British public about the need to be vigilant when things change on one’s skin.
Campaign For Carmen
Carmen Walker died during a procedure in 2010 at the Waikato DHB. I witnessed her accidental death and raised concerns at the DHB which were not communicated to the Coroner or considered in the sentinel event audit that was supposed to identify any problems that contributed to Carmen’s avoidable death. When I realised this had happened I made a report to the Heath and Disability Commissioner and I have been part of a campaign to uncover the problems that resulted in her untimely death and expose why it wasn’t properly investigated when it happened. Our aim is to ensure that changes in the coronial and DHB systems ensure the flaws in the system we have identified are repaired.
