Not a Good day for Peter Jansen (ACC)

It's certainly not a good time to be Peter Jansen right now - ACC Sensitive Claims Senior Medical Adviser - but it's not like he wasn't warned.  Even those not directly associated with Politics knew he'd become the scapegoat when this whole "clinical pathways" debacle was exposed.  We also predicted that once Jansen's head on was on the block, those ACC clinical psychologists paid to make assessments, along with the Royal NZ College of Practitioners, would become his target - that's yet to play out, perhaps because (this time) there is just too much evidence suggesting Jansen was warned for months about the pathway faults and literally ignored their advice. Even the brains behind the initial Massey University study that started the changes distanced themselves publicly. 

I kind of feel sorry for Jansen. Kind of. I mean, here is the guy, plucked from the heights of Maori Mental Health along with all his bells and whistles, his honorary membership to some of the top leading New Zealand health professions, and for what - so he can become the very thing Nick Smith kicks when his "cost cutting" antics are exposed?  I say kind of feel sorry for him. I mean, he's not a stupid guy, surely. But I do wonder. When he paraded around New Zealand showcasing the clinical pathways to health professionals, did he not look into it himself and think, hum, this just doesn't sound ethical? Surely those members that walked out during his presentations ought to have been a subtle hint.  

But here we have it. Nick Smith openly saying "ACC had handled the issue poorly."

Yeah, I feel a tad sorry for Jansen but I am sure the money was worth it. I'd be more pleased, however, if Smith got booted because we know for certain he was given information months and months ago detailing the failing of his clinical pathways - I know for a fact; I still have my emails to him and oddly enough, I am still awaiting a response to his claim that it takes only "20 days for a claim to be assessed." I'm heading into my first year anniversary of bullshit assessments, delays, and miscommunication.  I say miscommunication but really it's just gross negligence. 

Dr Peter Jansen (Ng ti Raukawa)

MB ChB, FRNZCGP (Dist), Grad Cert Clin Tchg

Peter was a founding director of Mauri Ora Associates Ltd and has been the lead investigator for the research project He Ritenga Whakaaro: M ori experiences of health services, funded by the Health Research Council, the Ministry of Health and Accident Compensation Corporation.  Peter now works fulltime for ACC as Senior Medical Advisor. Peter’s working life has included general practice in both rural and deprived urban communities, pharmaceutical medicine and medical teaching. He received a Distinguished Fellowship of the RNZCGP in 2008 for his work in the area of cultural competence. He has contributed to many publications on cultural competence in health care, for examples see the ACC and Medical Council publications on cultural competence and papers on the Mauri Ora Associates website (www.mauriora.co.nz) Peter has personal experience of cancer and in the more recent past has participated in New Zealand guidelines for melanoma and guidelines for the early detection and referral of cancer.

So, was it worth it Jansen?