8 June 2001

0800 number, full inquiry needed for Parry patients

Green Party Northland MP Sue Bradford today repeated her call for an independent inquiry into the care provided by Northland doctor Graham Parry and called for the establishment of a national hotline for women affected by his treatment.

Ms Bradford today met with 15 women who have complaints about the quality of care they received from Dr Parry at her office in Whangarei.

"As a result of this meeting, and on behalf of these women, I am calling for the establishment of a national 0800 hotline as a first point of contact for women who have concerns about care they have received from Dr Parry," said Ms Bradford.

"Women who have been treated by Dr Parry in the past are now scattered all over the country and there needs to be a single first point of contact for concerned women. Through this phone line women could then receive counselling, be referred to further medical care and advised on further action."

Ms Bradford said this would be the 'one stop shop' referred to in the Cull Report and said the hotline would be a valuable initial reference point which could then help women negotiate the bureaucracy of the medical complaints system.

"The women have also asked me to continue calling for a full and independent inquiry into Graham Parry's practice," said Ms Bradford. "There is growing support for such an inquiry - both inside parliament and in the community - and the need is clear.

"There are real concerns that permission for Dr Parry to resume the practice of obstetrics and ultrasound has been granted without all of the facts on the table. A full inquiry is clearly required to get to the bottom of this issue and establish once and for all the extent of Dr Parry's poor treatment, and the implications of it."

The women who met Ms Bradford today have also asked her to request a meeting with the Chairman of the Northland District Health Board and to represent them at that meeting.

"The women who met with me today told me the list of women who have grievances with Dr Parry's care is now over 60. The problem is not going away and, in fact it may be bigger than we all thought," she said.

"I urge the Health Minister to take these women's advice and set up both the independent inquiry and the national hotline as soon as possible."

ENDS

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