Doc’s apology never made it to tāne permanently disabled by surgery

Pita Shelford, right, had been training for a marathon before spinal surgery left him with a paralysed leg. (Supplied)A doctor’s letter to a patient, apologising for missed opportunities following a treatment injury, never made it through to the patient who was permanently disabled as a result of spinal cord surgery in January 2022. According to Shelford, the doctor would say to him every day at the hospital after his surgery that he wished he’d got to him sooner. A Te Whatu Ora spokesperson said that generally, clinic letters are dictated, processed by their dictation system and transcribed by a typist. The spokesperson from Te Whatu Ora said written correspondence between doctors and patients is allowed.