Dr Frances Matthews1
1Dr Frances Matthews, Christchurch, New Zealand
Biography:
Dr Frances Matthews is a medicolegal advisor and GP in New Zealand. Her special interests are ACC law, the human rights of those detained and healthcare equity in New Zealand. She qualified as a doctor in the UK 1982 and was called to the bar in Ireland in 2012. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) in the subspecialty of Medicolegal Advisor. She has a Masters in Bioethics and Healthcare Law, a Master of Laws and a PhD in Law from the University of Otago.
Abstract:
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of imprisonment in the OECD with approximately 0.2% of the population incarcerated in the first quarter of 2024. About 0.37% of the population are detained in dementia units, psychogeriatric units and hospital level care in community Aged Residential Care (ARC) units. 1.2 million people were admitted to public hospitals in 2020/21 (approximately 2% of the population).
Public Hospitals are controlled by central government, most ARC institutions are in private hands. Both are overseen by the Ministry of Health. Prisons, including healthcare for prisoners is administered by the Department of Corrections. One prison is run by a private company.
Medication errors are used as a marker of standards of care by both the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) and the Health Quality and Safety Commission. The HDC has a searchable database of decisions which was used to gain information on reported medication errors in hospitals, prisons and ARC institutions over a 5-year period between 2019 and 2024.
Results were that of the total complaints about care standards regarding public hospitals 3.9% were about medication errors. Complaints about medication errors amounted to 9% of total complaints in ARC institutions, and 30% of complaints about healthcare in prisons.
Detained people suffer more medication errors than those who are not detained, with those detained under the aegis of the Department of Corrections suffering the highest rates.