2 May 2015

Call for inquiry into patient's death

3:48 pm on 2 May 2015

The family of a psychiatric patient who died last month at Wellington Hospital are calling for an independent inquiry into his death.

Doctor with a stethoscope writing on a clipboard.

Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski

The family of 34-year-old Samuel Fischer said he had died of self-inflicted injuries.

He had been a long tern patient of psychiatric facilities at Wellington and Lower Hutt for several years.

A spokesperson for his family, Robert Miller, said they had been unhappy with his treatment for some time.

He said they wanted an independent inquiry into his death, but said the Capital and Coast District Health Board had been unhelpful and obstructive.

The DHB has offered to engage a senior medical officer and a senior nurse to investigate the care provided to Mr Fischer.

But Mr Miller said the family wanted a fully independent inquiry with the reviewers nominated by the Ministry of Health, and a consumer adviser to be added to the review team.

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