Resignation latest health disaster - Anderton

The resignation of the head of Canterbury's eating disorder unit is the "latest disaster" within the region's mental health service, Christchurch MP Jim Anderton says.

Yesterday, Anderton said he understood 11 other psychiatrists had resigned in recent years, including the chief of psychiatry, Dr Phil Brinded, who left in December. Brinded's position has not been filled.

The Press understands the clinical director, acute inpatient services, Sue Nightingale, also resigned last year.

The clinical head of the specialist unit, Dr Geoff Buckett, is moving to Sydney amid a bitter row with health leaders.

He accuses Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) managers of failing to consult doctors over the service shake-up and of suppressing an independent review.

Anderton said Buckett was going to Sydney to work for "one of the best eating disorder clinics in the world".

"Why is the board and management of the Canterbury DHB overseeing this disaster, with apparent disregard for the serious consequences for the most vulnerable patients and families anyone can imagine?" Anderton said.

The board's clinical director, addiction and specialty services, Dr Alfred Dell'Ario, rejected Anderton's claims, saying Canterbury people could have confidence in the eating disorders service, and mental health services generally.

However, a senior Christchurch psychiatrist, who asked not to be named, said the relationship between managers and clinicians in Canterbury's mental health service had been "strained" for some time.

Buckett said a key issue was a management decision to split adolescents from the specialist eating disorder unit.

United States eating disorders expert Dr Cindy Bulic looked at the idea as part of a general service review.

Buckett, who has headed the unit for six years, said Bulic's verbal report to staff advocated keeping adolescents within the unit. However, he said no-one outside CDHB management had seen her report and he believed it was being suppressed.

The board said yesterday The Press could not see a copy of the report, which was not finalised. However, Buckett had received an email from Bulic this week which said a finalised copy was sent to the board on February 7.

Buckett said the idea of creating an adolescent service was a misinterpretation of a United Nations directive relating to children in detention, not those in a voluntary service.

"Adolescents are the most important patients, the most vulnerable, youngest, sickest and most treatable and salvageable," he said.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed it wanted adolescents treated separately from adults in an "age-appropriate service". It said the CDHB was working towards this situation.

Dell'Ario said changes being considered for the eating disorder service had involved "extensive engagement with clinicians, clinical leaders and others in South Island district health boards".

The proposed change to move adolescents into their own eating disorders care service was the result of the past two governments' endorsement of the United Nations Charter for the Rights of Children.

"With any process like this there are divergent views and where this has occurred Canterbury DHB has gone and sought the best information and advice to ensure our process and direction is based on sound evidence," Dell'Ario said.

However, Buckett said he was not consulted, and did not know any clinicians that were. He questioned why the health board was transforming a service that was used as a prototype for other units nationwide.

- © Fairfax NZ News