A doctor is facing possible legal action after he failed to investigate and diagnose lung cancer in a woman who has since died.
The patient complained to the public health watchdog that the GP made her feel dirty and like rubbish because of her drug dependency.
In a report released on Monday, Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill found that the doctor breached patient rights due to poor care and inadequate documentation.
The unnamed 52-year-old woman was Maori, smoked, had a family history of lung cancer and was dependent on tranquillisers.
The woman saw the doctor, who has not been named, many times over 20 months from mid-2008 about persistent coughing and throat and chest pain that she began experiencing the previous year.
The doctor prescribed antibiotics and cough medicine, but never physically examined her and refused requests for a chest X-ray.
The woman told the commissioner that she believed the doctor thought she was dirty and could not stand to touch her. She died of lung cancer in 2010.
Commissioner Anthony Hill says the woman knew she was not being listened to and the GP should have examined her and ordered an X-ray.
"She knew she was not being well cared for. This doctor had a duty of care, he had a patient sitting in front of him saying, 'I'm unwell, I'm worried, shouldn't I be getting further tests?' And he was not responding to that - it's a very sad case."
Mr Hill says he believes the doctor became distracted because the woman was dependent on drugs - and that was a factor.
"I think there were a series of opportunities to get good care for this patient who had a very sad journey and he did not take them.
"Undoubtedly, he was distracted by what he knew about his patient's drug dependency - but that does not excuse his failure to care for her appropriately."
The doctor is no longer practising, but the commissioner has referred the case to his director of proceedings for possible follow-up legal action.
