Sexual violence counselling boost

A report from Radio New Zealand News

The Government has announced a $10 million funding boost in next month's budget for specialist sexual violence services.
Social development minister Paula Bennett says the increase will provide immediate stability for specialist services to help address current funding shortfalls. Ms Bennett says the sector requires extra resourcing, especially for making 24 hour, seven-days-a-week crisis call-out and emergency counselling services available. She says the money will be used to support frontline crisis-response and community-based treatment services, as well as male victims and those accessing medical and forensic services.
A Parliamentary inquiry is currently looking into the funding of specialist sexual violence services.
Ms Bennett says she couldn't wait for the outcome of the inquiry.
"The need is so great now, to be honest I'd done a lot of work on my cabinet and to get them to this point, there was no way I was going to delay them for another six months!
"I knew I had a shot of getting a bit of money in this year's budget so I was going to grab it with everything I had."
The Parliamentary inquiry has been told the sector is severely under-resourced and has lost about $6 million a year since changes to ACC in 2011 when it cut funding for sex abuse counselling.

Funding welcome
A rape prevention trust says the Government's funding boost will help stop the loss of trained staff from the sector.
Executive director of Rape Prevention Education, Kim McGregor says the sector has been underfunded for many decades. She says there's been a high level of burnout and it's been difficult to hold on to specialist trained staff.
Ms McGregor says the extra funding will help stabilise the sector in the short-term.

© Radio New Zealand 2014

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/242981/sexual-violence-counselling-boost

ACC fully funded counselling 'outside evidence'

A press release from 24-7 by Steve Taylor

ACC decision to fully fund counselling therapy “way outside the scope of the outcome evidence” says Counsellor and Social Services Outcomes Researcher.
The decision by the ACC to fully fund counselling for victims of sexual assault is a “good intentions decision absent of any cogent wisdom or evidence as to what works in therapy” says Steve Taylor, Director of 24-7 Ltd, and a Social Service Outcomes Researcher.
“While we know that 80% of people who seek therapy will make much better progress with their presenting issue than 80% of people who may need therapy but don’t seek it, we also know that the most significant period of clinically significant change for clients occurs within the first 5 – 7 sessions of therapy”.
ACC’s own reported uptake figures bear this out, with claimants session uptake averaging 7.8 sessions per person”.
Once again, just like with the NZ Family Court before it, the Government is going to throw money in the general direction of what it thinks might work, not ask for any outcomes measures of service provision from the therapists providing the service, and then cross it’s fingers that someone, somewhere, might be helped”.
Based on the international client outcome evidence, for ACC to adopt such a cavalier attitude with taxpayer-funded levies by stating “here’s 12 months of funding, help yourself”, would strongly indicate that the organisation has absolutely no idea of the importance of securing outcome data for funds disbursed, or service efficiency economies of scale".
Funding 48 therapy sessions over a 12 month period is gross and irresponsible waste of taxpayers’ money, when most of the time, clinically significant change can occur with many fewer sessions, provided that the results of the counselling intervention is being measured, and adjusted to suit specific client needs accordingly” said Mr Taylor.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1404/S00094/acc-fully-funded-counselling-outside-evidence.htm

Changes to ACC funding for sensitive claims

A post from FrogBlog by Jan Logie

Isaac Davidson from the Herald ran another great story today on the support services for victims of sexual abuse and ACC plans to improve coverage.
The new model will be “an expanded, more flexible service which took into account the sensitivity, length of time and cost of treating rape-related trauma based on the 2010 review recommendations.” It will cover full cost of the sessions and will allow people to shop around for a therapist who they feel comfortable with and therapists, psychologist and psychotherapists would be given travel funding to allow them to reach people in isolated regions. ACC is also planning to increasingly include family members or support people through the recovery process. There is an expectation that with increased reporting and more funding ACC were expecting the cost of sensitive claims to double from $45million per year.
Of course this is all good news but there are a few points in here that we need to watch carefully if we are to ensure that everyone gets the right help...

Read the rest of this post here: http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=30254

© 2014 The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

ACC to cover rape therapy costs in full

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Isaac Davison

ACC will pay for every cent of rape victims' counselling as part of a major overhaul of its sensitive claims system later this year.
The corporation is bracing for a significant increase in the number of sensitive claims in the next six years as the stigma around sexual violence is increasingly broken down in New Zealand.
In response, it was planning an expanded, more flexible service which took into account the sensitivity, length of time, and cost of treating rape-related trauma. These changes were based on the recommendations of a highly critical independent review in 2010.
Sexual violence services are under scrutiny in New Zealand following the "Roast Busters" scandal and temporary closure of some frontline clinics because of funding shortfalls. ACC received 5055 new sensitive claims last year, and is expecting a 10 per cent increase in claims each year until 2020.
ACC strategy manager for sexual violence Emma Powell said the overhaul would give victims more time, funding and choice.
"We are no longer going to be approving 10 counselling sessions here, or 10 there, we are actually saying 'Here's 12 months, you and your therapists ... build a programme around the person's needs ... and that's about providing a much more holistic approach'.
"We're throwing away the calendar and throwing away the clock and just letting people focus on getting better."
The cost of the upgrade cannot yet be revealed, but it was expected to require a doubling of funding. ACC spent around $45 million on sensitive claims in 2012/13.
At present, ACC funded counselling for rape victims but only up to $80 for a one-hour session. Counsellors often charged a "top-up", or additional fee of up to $90.
Ms Powell said the corporation was concerned that this cost was putting people off a crucial service. Claimants were taking an average of 7.8 sessions despite being entitled to 16 sessions, or more depending on their circumstances.
Under the new service, ACC would cover the full cost of the sessions. The overhaul would also allow victims to shop around for a therapist who they felt comfortable with.
Therapists, psychologists or psychotherapists would be given travel funding to allow them to reach people in isolated regions.
ACC and its partner agencies planned to increasingly include family members or support people during the recovery process, though it was not yet planning to extend its services to perpetrators.
At present, adult sexual abusers can get funded treatment only if they are in the criminal justice system. This meant there was a gap in the system because many victims knew their abusers and did not want to place charges, but wanted them to get treatment.
This problem was raised at a wide-ranging Parliamentary inquiry into specialist sexual violence services. The inquiry has been told of long waits for specialist services, uncertainty about continued funding, and the struggle to help Maori, rural, transgender or intersex clients.

Funding changes
*All counselling sessions for sensitive claims will be fully funded.
*Claimants can get access to 48 therapy sessions over 12 months, as well as other treatment.
*Victims can shop around for a counsellor they can trust.
*Family members or support people will be included in treatment where appropriate.
*Therapists will be funded for travel to allow them to visit isolated regions.

© 2014 APN New Zealand Ltd

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11245848

Bronwyn Puller: ACC abused claimants' rights with consent form

A report from 3 News by Melanie Reid for Third Degree

Bronwyn Puller blew the whistle on ACC in 2012. She was sent nearly 7000 personal files in one of New Zealand’s worst privacy breaches.
Two years later ACC has been found to be involved in another massive privacy scandal. This time it potentially affects three-quarters of a million Kiwis.
"There’s no limitation on it [ACC form 167]," says Ms Puller. "So it’s as wild as your imagination. They could go to your bank and obtain all your banking financial records. They could go to your telecommunications provider and obtain access to your emails. They could go to your gym, look at your gym attendance. They could go to your neighbours, talk to your neighbours. But it’s not just what they can collect; this actually also gives ACC unlimited powers of disclosure."
ACC was forcing clients to sign a consent form that was well beyond ACC’s legal mandate. This gave ACC powers – way beyond what they have under the legislation. This gives them the ability, and the Government, to intrude in every aspect of your life. It gives them the ability to release any information about you to any third party.
Here are just a few examples from our ACC files:

• A male freezing worker's sexual abuse history was shared with his employer.
• A claimant who had suffered mental health issues had her highly sensitive files released to her employer.
• A victim of a brutal assault also had confidential files released to his employer – files about his nightmares, medication and counselling sessions.

"This is the consequence of this form," says Ms Puller. "I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want their employer, or a potential employer, or a headhunting agency, having complete access to their medical records. They are the most highly sensitive private information."
The problem for claimants is if they didn’t sign the 167 consent form allowing ACC wide-ranging collection of their private information, they faced being cut off.
So last week a judge ruled ACC’s use of the consent form unlawful. But there are allegations that for years and years ACC has known this.
Ms Puller had raised the issue of the 167 form with the former minister, the board, the State Services Commission, the Privacy Commissioner, Department of Labour and Ombudsman.
"[Current ACC Minister] Judith Collins was given the list of 45 issues, which I took to the meeting in December, that we asked ACC to address," she says. "The ACC 167 was listed on that as one of the concerns we had about the unlawful approach to the way ACC was operating its business. That list was given to the minister on March 14, 2012.
"I know that she received my list of 45 issues. I also know that she received a copy of the independent report that was commissioned by ACC and the Privacy Commissioner, which raised concerns about ACC’s consent form, because it was the major bugbear that most claimants had with ACC."
So going by the judge's ruling, potentially there are hundreds of thousands of files sitting in an ACC database containing private information that has been obtained in an illegally manner.
"At the end of the day, ACC have created their own administrative nightmare, through the way that they’ve acted. They’ve acted unlawfully. They’ve acted irresponsibly. They’ve acted in a way that basically totally abuses the claimants' rights and the right to informed consent, and to control of their personal information. It’s that simple."
Click here to see the response from ACC.
For anyone with concerns about their claim in relation to their signing the ACC 167 consent form, please call 0800 745 254.

© 2013 MediaWorks TV

http://www.3news.co.nz/Bronwyn-Puller-ACC-abused-claimants-rights-with-consent-form/tabid/1771/articleID/341271/Default.aspx#ixzz2zkDroQnw

Govt questioned over ACC policy

A news report from Radio New Zealand News

Opposition parties are questioning how long the ACC Minister has known about a privacy waiver used by the corporation that has now been ruled by a court as too broad.
ACC Minister Judith Collins, questioned in Parliament, said she was told about the court decision on Friday and was not aware of the significance of the issue.
But Labour and the Greens say Ms Collins has known about the issue for years, as it was raised in a report about a privacy breach 18 months ago.
Green MP Kevin Hague said after serious privacy breaches by ACC in the past, Ms Collins made public confidence in the corporation a ministerial concern.
Labour's ACC spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway said it was implausible Ms Collins heard of the issue only last week.
"It was in the review of the Bronwyn Pullar case that issues with this form were first identified. In fact, there were media articles about this late last year as well. It's implausible the minister only heard of this issue last week."
In August 2011, details of more than 6000 ACC clients were mistakenly sent to Auckland claimant Bronwyn Pullar, resulting in the resignations of ACC minister Nick Smith, ACC chair John Judge, two directors and chief executive Ralph Stewart.
Outside the House on Wednesday, Judith Collins said ACC should not be handing over people's sensitive claim information to prospective employers and she hadn't heard about the sensitive claims complaint until Wednesday.
"I am actually very concerned about that and I want to find out what are the facts behind it. Is this correct? I understand that there has been some complaints filed with the Human Rights Commission. If that is true, I look forward to seeing what has occurred and when it has occurred."
Ms Collins says she wants to make sure that people's privacy is protected.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/241780/claims-acc-sent-sensitive-files

© Radio New Zealand 2014

Claims ACC sent sensitive files

A news report from Radio New Zealand

The Human Rights Commission has received five complaints in the past two years about Accident Compensation Corporation files sent to prospective employers.
The commission on Wednesday said in at least one case, the file included sensitive claim information such as sexual abuse.
ACC's policy of forcing clients to sign a wide-ranging privacy waiver has been found in breach of the law.
The Dunedin District Court ruled on Monday that the controversial ACC 167 form was beyond the law and the corporation had no right to decline entitlements because a client would not sign it. The corporation had cut compensation to an unknown number of claimants for refusing to sign the waiver.
Christchurch Justice of the Peace and community board member Karolin Potter said she had been approached by two people at legal forums who told her they had had sensitive claim information sent to their employer by ACC.
"In response to employer's request for their ACC information, the ACC had sent out the entire file including sensitive claim material for sexual abuse in their past."
Ms Potter told Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon programme on Wednesday both complainants said ACC told them it had no discretion to filter the information they provided to prospective employers.
ACC has issued a statement saying it does not send information about claims older than 10 years, mental injuries, declined claims, treatment injury claims or sensitive issue claims, without the client's express permission.
The corporation said it will disclose information only if it is required to help get a client into work, which is the purpose for which it was collected.
Council of Trade Unions' president Helen Kelly says people signing employment privacy waivers are in no position to negotiate its conditions.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/241780/claims-acc-sent-sensitive-files

© Radio New Zealand 2014

Question to Minister

10. KEVIN HAGUE (Green) to the Minister for ACC: Have all of the recommendations of the 2012 Independent Review of ACC’s Privacy and Security of Information been implemented; if not, why not?



Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister for ACC): ACC advised that it has implemented 37 of the 44 recommendations. A number have ongoing activity associated with them. Of the remaining seven, two are under active management, which relate to information governance and the implementation of data loss protection software. The other five involve a fundamental review of ACC’s end-to-end claims process activity. Accordingly, ACC advised that it has taken a deliberate decision to complete the end-to-end process review of claims management as part of its work around improving trust and confidence. This is to ensure all processes and information technology changes required under these five recommendations comprehensively meet the intent of the report.
Kevin Hague: Is she confident that the recommendations to ensure that consent forms follow the law and are best practice have been properly implemented, given that the court has just found that the way that ACC was using its ACC167 form was actually illegal?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I do not want to argue with the member, but, strictly speaking, the form was not held to be illegal, but the way in which it was used was outside of the statutory requirements. I agree with the member that the form must be changed to comply with the latest decision. I have also been advised by ACC that this form has in the past been approved by the Privacy Commissioner, by the Human Rights Commission, and, I have been told, by six different District Court decisions. So the fact that this latest decision has said that it has been wrongly used is something that ACC is taking very seriously, as am I.
Kevin Hague: How does she reconcile ACC’s illegal use of this form with the privacy review’s findings that stakeholders’ single-biggest concern was the attitude and culture of the organisation in dealing with their personal information, and the report’s finding that a consistent theme was that information not relevant to the claim was held on file?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I also recall that the review said that the form itself was able to be used. So I think the problem is that the past decisions of the courts and of other agencies, like the Human Rights Commission, the Privacy Commissioner, and also the review, have not actually said that the form has been misused. But I believe that the member is right that the form should be changed. ACC told me on Monday this week that it was not going to appeal the decision and that it would abide by it. I think that is the right outcome.
Kevin Hague: How do revelations today that ACC has been handing people’s full ACC files—including information on sensitive claims—over to prospective employers stack up against the recommendations of the privacy review?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I am sorry, I have not heard that claim, but if the member would like to provide me with the information, I will be happy to take some action. I seek leave to assist the member with the summary—
Mr SPEAKER: You are seeking leave to table a document?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: It is a document that is the independent review recommendations and summary of actions as at 24 January this year, and I think that might help the member.
Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that summary of actions. Is there any objection to that being tabled? It can be tabled.
    Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.
Kevin Hague: How does the Minister reconcile the responsibility she took as Minister in 2012 and her comment that “I’m not going to sit back and let one of the most important Government entities we have let people down time and time again around things such as privacy. They have to act in the way that I expect them to act.” with her comments over the past several days that the implications of the court decision are an operational matter?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Well, strictly speaking, forms are an operational matter, but if the member is going to come to see the progress that has been made and what actions I have taken, I think that I have been very strong on this issue relating to ACC. I can look at the proof of just how successful that has been. In August 2012 there were 80 privacy breaches from ACC. A year later, in August 2013, that was down to 28. In March 2014—the month just past—it was down to 19. There are significant improvements in the ability of ACC to protect people’s privacy, and at the same time, to comply with its obligations under its own Act.

http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/50HansQ_20140416_00000010/10-accident-compensation-corporation%E2%80%94privacy-and-security

ACC privacy ruling welcomed for sensitive claimants

A press release from the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists

Yesterday’s District Court ruling, that the standard ACC release of information form the “ACC 167” is illegal, has been welcomed by psychotherapists and clinicians working with sexual abuse survivors.
“The Disley Independent Clincial review of the ACC’s treatment of sensitive claimants, undertaken in 2010, outlined serious concerns about this form and the ACC’s approach to the gathering of health information. This decision is welcomed, but long overdue” says Kyle MacDonald, New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists Public Issues spokesperson.
The Disley review included a legal opinion, which noted concerns about the ACC 167, and explained the limitations that apply to the collection of health information. Those working with all ACC claimants, and specifically in the sexual violence sector, have long expressed these concerns.
“We’ve known for a long time that this form, and its implementation, has caused specific problems for sensitive claimants” says Kyle MacDonald, “it has been common practice for the ACC to request ALL of a claimants GP or Mental health notes, and not accept a health professional acting in accordance with the Privacy act by providing only those parts of the record relevant to the claim. Furthermore the ACC have quite explicitly declined to advance a claim if individuals refuse to sign the waiver due to quite legitimate privacy concerns.”
This has set up a perception that ACC have gone on “fishing expeditions” for reasons to decline claims, rather than sticking to the limits of the Privacy Act, like all other health professionals are required to do.
“Hopefully this decision allows people who have had their claim declined due
to the illegal acquisition of health information to have their claim revisited. It should also allow those who have had their claim declined due to their refusal to sign this form to also re-apply for cover and treatment.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1404/S00230/acc-privacy-ruling-welcomed-for-sensitive-claimants.htm

ACC compo policy 'wrong in law'

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Martin Johnston

Form requesting signature to consent to information with threat of compensation cut is deemed unlawful.
A judge has overturned ACC's policy of cutting off accident claimants' compensation if they refuse to approve widespread gathering of information about themselves. The Accident Compensation Corporation's actions were "without basis and wrong in law", District Court Judge Grant Powell says in two just-released verdicts. The decisions come 2 years after ACC's mass privacy breach.
ACC, asked yesterday if it was following the judge's advice to rewrite the ACC167 form, said the form was "not illegal". ACC was "amending the relevant processes to address the matters raised by the court". ACC argued before the court cases that the blanket consent form provided "administrative efficiency".
Claimants Denise Powell, a part-time university lecturer who had a back injury, and "K", a sexual abuse victim and brain injury claimant, appealed against ACC cutting off their entitlements after they repeatedly refused to sign the ACC167 form. Their entitlements were reinstated after they eventually signed but they said they only signed because they were put under duress. Both claimants previously had arrangements with ACC to give it consent to obtain specific information relating to their claims case-by-case. This system ran for several years until 2009 and 2010 when case managers indicated the corporation could no longer accept those arrangements and they would have to sign the form or lose their entitlements.
But Judge Powell said the ACC167 form was much broader in its consent to gather information than the requirement in the Accident Compensation Act that claimants approve the release of "medical and other records that may be relevant to the claim". ACC was justified to seek a wide range of information and could request consent for this from claimants. But it could use section 117/3 of the act to cut off entitlements for refusing consent only for the "medical and other records" specified in the act, and not for the wider information search that ACC167 enabled.
The judge cites, as an example of the kind of wider information sought, Dr Powell's ACC case manager asking her GP if the medical certificates he wrote accurately reflected the amount of work she was capable of doing. "It would appear," the case manager wrote, "that the hours both paid and unpaid combined could almost exceed a full week's work. If you do not agree will you please provide your reasons."
Dr Powell, an ACC claimants' support group spokeswoman, said the case manager's letter was inappropriate and after a complaint she was assigned to a different case manager. "K" told the corporation he was concerned about its use or possible misuse of private information including details about his sensitive claim with ACC.
Warren Forster, the advocate for both claimants, said there had been a long line of failed appeals against having ACC payments stopped because of refusing to sign the ACC167 form, but there had not been full legal argument on the issue before the K and Powell cases. ACC is setting up a dedicated phone line for clients with historical consent concerns.

• ACC consent concern line 0800 745 254.

Form filling
• ACC167 form asked claimants to sign: "I give my consent for information about me to be collected, used and disclosed..."
• The Accident Compensation Act says: "A claimant who receives any entitlement must, when reasonably required to do so by the corporation...authorise the corporation to obtain medical and other records that may be relevant to the claim."
• What the judge said: "In my view, even a casual glance at the ACC167 form...shows that the authorisation is considerably more extensive than provided by section 72, 1, c [of the act]."

© 2014 APN New Zealand Ltd

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11238207

Sexual-violence inquiry reveals gaps in services and funding shortfall

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Isaac Davison

John was first referred to sexual violence services aged 12. His mother was schizophrenic and his father, a gang member with a violent history, was in prison.
After he began acting out violently and sexually at school, Child, Youth and Family (CYF) shuffled him through foster homes in his rural neighbourhood. He failed to improve, and was moved to a specialist home in a nearby city, where he was diagnosed with high-functioning autism.
John's life turned around when he was transferred to a state-funded residential treatment programme.
"He did exceptionally well," said Lesley Ayland, chief executive of the Harmful Sexual Behaviour Sector.
"He made a huge improvement in his learning, his behaviour settled, he returned to the group home and continued to do well. He was on track to attend university."
But when John turned 17, CYF closed its case because he had become an adult. There was no equivalent support for adults. He returned home to his mother, who was refusing medication. His behaviour deteriorated and he reoffended.
John's story was one of several complex and tragic cases told to a major inquiry into sexual violence services in New Zealand, which resumes hearings in Wellington tomorrow. Doctors, victims, psychologists, lobby groups and officials warned Parliament's social services committee last week that there were a number of gaps in the current system. They expressed concern about long waits for services, uncertainty about continued funding, total absence of funding for some sectors, and the struggle to help Maori, rural, transgender or intersex clients.
National crime statistics released last week revealed a 10 per cent increase in sexual assaults between 2012 and 2013. The trend could reflect increased reporting of abuse, not a rise in the rate of assaults.
Wellington Rape Crisis agency manager Eleanor Butterworth said more victims were seeking help because the stigma around sexual violence was increasingly being broken down. She said this change would require greater resourcing for sexual violence services.
"That means long-term plans, not pilots, it means multi-year funding contracts, it means services directed at hard-to-reach and marginalised communities and it means getting your head around the fact that one in four women and one in eight men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime and that many of those people will want to access specialist services at some point in their lives."
The most common complaint to the inquiry was the absence of secure, long-term funding for frontline services. Funding was usually distributed in one- or two-year contracts, which gave providers little certainty for treating clients who required years of rehabilitation.
Only $77,000 of Wellington Rape Crisis' $300,000 to $330,000 budget was guaranteed, non-contestable funding. It was temporarily forced to reduce its service from five to four days a week last year because of a lack of funding - a shortfall which prompted Green MP Jan Logie to seek the inquiry. At present, the rape crisis agency is running on a $100,000 deficit and will cut services again if it cannot secure more funding.
MPs also heard about geographical gaps in the system. Specialist services are mostly limited to the main cities and some centres have no services at all. Some rural clients have to travel long distances for treatment.
ACC is doubling its budget for sensitive claims (sexual abuse or rape cases) at the end of this year. But the Government still requires specialist support to meet the complex needs of rape victims or their perpetrators.
Intersex Trust Aotearoa executive director Mani Mitchell said that despite the high proportion of abuse among transgender or intersex people, there was no specialised service for these groups. Submitters also told the inquiry that funding was skewed towards victims and the care and protection of children.
Cuts by the Ministry of Social Development in tight fiscal times meant adult sex offenders who abused other adults could not get treatment unless they were in the criminal justice system. This was significant because sexual offending was largely a hidden crime - just one in 100 offenders went to prison. Many people knew their abusers and did not want to charge them. But unless they were charged, their recovery was not state-subsidised.
Ms Ayland said many abusers voluntarily sought treatment if it was available.
MPs heard that CYF had some blind spots. In one case, six boys had seriously assaulted another boy at a secondary school. But CYF did not intervene if a young person was a threat to his or her peers.
When the hearings are completed, the select committee will make recommendations to Government for improvements to the system.
Paediatric Society head Dawn Elder said she hoped any reforms would bring care for sexual abuse victims into line with the rest of New Zealand's health system.
"It seems odd to me that you can have renal failure and you get dialysis, you can have cancer and you get paid for your cancer treatment. [But] you can have a really crappy childhood and have severe mental problems and some sexual offending problems and you struggle to get services. I don't understand it."

© 2014 APN New Zealand Ltd

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11233998