Referals for ACC medical assessments to Othopeadic Surgeons Mr Vasu Pai/BONEFIX, Gordon Howie and Michael Barnes

David Lawson made this Official Information request to Accident Compensation Corporation

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Accident Compensation Corporation should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: David Lawson

Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

It would be appreciated if you would provide me with the following official information with respect to the following orthopaedic spinal surgeons Mr Gordon Howie, and Mr Michael Barnes, and also general orthopeadic teacher and advisor/assessor Dr Vasudeva Shivaraya Pai who has been trained in orthopaedic surgery and for whose current scope of practice according to the Medical Council of New Zealand is limited to teaching orthopaedics and as an external independent orthopaedic ACC advisor and assessor.

For each of the above specialists, please provide confirmation of;

1.

the number of medical referrals of ACC claimants that ACC has made to each of the named orthopaedically trained specialists, for the past 4 ACC business reporting years for the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment of conditions associated with accident/trauma that has resulted in injury and symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial nerve of the brain.

2.

Please confirm whether any of the named orthopaedically trained specialists have contractual arrangements with ACC to provide services to ACC that incorporate the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment of conditions associated with accident/trauma that has resulted in injury and symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial nerve of the brain.

3.

If any of the named orthoaedically trained specialists do have contractual arrangements with ACC to provide services to ACC that incorporate the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment of conditions associated with accident/trauma that has resulted in injury and symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial nerve of the brain, please supply me with a copy of the contract which provides such evidence to this effect.

4.

Please confirm which medical professional specialist sub-group listed below ACC is required to refer to for the assessments, diagnosis and recommended treatment for resultant injury and symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial nerve of the brain.:-

a) orthopaedic surgeon,
b) neurologist,
c) neurosurgeon.

5.

I have been advised by a respected orthopaedic shoulder surgeon that the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment for resultant injury and symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial nerve of the brain, should only be conducted by a registered and practising neurosurgeon, as the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment of trauma to the cranial nerves sits outside the practicing scope of the medical disciplines of neurology, and also orthopaedics, since neurologists and orthopaedic surgeons are not trained to assess, diagnose, and recommend treatment, for trauma to the cranial nerves.

6.

Please confirm the names of the top 5 Auckland based neurosurgeons who ACC refer ACC claimants to for the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment for trauma to the cranial nerves. Please rank in order from top to fifth each of the five Auckland neurosurgeons in accordance with first a) below and then b) separately;

a) the number of ACC referrals per annum for the period, 1 July 2015 through to 30 June 2016 for the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment of accidental trauma to the cranial nerves.

b) the annual remuneration in bands of $50,000 received from ACC for the provision of the assessment, and diagnosis of trauma to the cranial nerves.

I thank you for your time and assistance and I confirm that under s16(2) of the Official Information Act, my preferred way of receiving a response is by email to the address from which ACC received the original request, not by post

Yours faithfully,

David Lawson

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From: David Lawson

Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

I refer to my OIA request number 5, which should be finished off with ....Can you please confirm that the information/advice that I was provided by the orthopaedic surgeon who specialised in the area of shoulder, arm and hand is standard practice within ACC for referals, and the general medical profession's service delivery model.

Yours faithfully,

David Lawson

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Dear Mr Lawson

 

Official Information Act request

 

Thank you for your email of 23 February 2017 requesting the following
information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):

 

It would be appreciated if you would provide me with the following
official information with respect to the following orthopaedic spinal
surgeons Mr Gordon Howie, and Mr Michael Barnes, and also general
orthopeadic teacher and advisor/assessor Dr Vasudeva Shivaraya Pai who has
been trained in orthopaedic surgery and for whose current scope of
practice according to the Medical Council of New Zealand is limited to
teaching orthopaedics and as an external independent orthopaedic ACC
advisor and assessor.

 

For each of the above specialists, please provide confirmation of;

 

1. the number of medical referrals of ACC claimants that ACC has made to
each of the named orthopaedically trained specialists, for the past 4 ACC
business reporting years  for the assessment, diagnosis and proposed
treatment of conditions associated with accident/trauma that has resulted
in injury and symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal
nerves being the the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of
the fifth cranial nerve of the brain.

 

2. Please confirm whether any of the named orthopaedically trained
specialists have contractual arrangements with ACC to provide services to
ACC that incorporate the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment of
conditions associated with accident/trauma that has resulted in injury and
symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the
the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial
nerve of the brain.

 

3. If any of the named orthoaedically trained specialists do have
contractual arrangements with ACC to provide services to ACC that
incorporate the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment of conditions
associated with accident/trauma that has resulted in injury and symptoms
to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the the
ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial nerve
of the brain, please supply me with a copy of the contract which provides
such evidence to this effect.

 

4. Please confirm which medical professional specialist sub-group listed
below ACC is required to refer to for the assessments, diagnosis and
recommended treatment  for resultant injury and symptoms to any of the
three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the the ophthalmic,
maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial nerve of the
brain.:-

 

a) orthopaedic surgeon,

b) neurologist,

c) neurosurgeon.

 

5. I have been advised by a respected orthopaedic shoulder surgeon that
the assessment, diagnosis and proposed treatment for resultant injury and
symptoms to any of the three branches of the trigeminal nerves being the
the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular divisions of the fifth cranial
nerve of the brain, should only be conducted by a registered and
practising neurosurgeon, as the assessment, diagnosis and proposed
treatment of trauma to the cranial nerves sits outside the practicing
scope of the medical disciplines of neurology, and also orthopaedics, 
since neurologists and orthopaedic surgeons are not trained to assess,
diagnose, and recommend treatment, for trauma to the cranial nerves.

 

Can you please confirm that the information/advice that I was provided by
the orthopaedic surgeon who specialised in the area of shoulder, arm and
hand is standard practice within ACC for referals, and the general medical
profession's service delivery model.

 

6. Please confirm the names of the top 5 Auckland based neurosurgeons who
ACC refer ACC claimants to for the assessment, diagnosis and proposed
treatment for trauma to the cranial nerves. Please rank in order from top
to fifth each of the five Auckland neurosurgeons in accordance with first
a) below and then b) separately;

 

a) the number of ACC referrals per annum for the period, 1 July 2015
through to 30 June 2016 for the assessment, diagnosis and proposed
treatment of accidental trauma to the cranial nerves.

b) the annual remuneration in bands of $50,000 received from ACC for the
provision of the assessment, and diagnosis of trauma to the cranial
nerves.

 

This email is to inform you that we are working on your request and will
be in touch with you as soon as possible, and certainly by 23 March 2017.

 

In the meantime, if you have any questions we will be happy to work with
you to resolve these. We can be contacted by email at
[1][email address].

 

Kind regards

 

Government Services

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer:

"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
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recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation


Attachment RESPONSE.pdf
250K Download View as HTML


Dear Mr Lawson

 

Please find attached our response to your request for information under
the Official Information Act 1982, dated 23 February 2017.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Government Services

 

Disclaimer:

"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."

Link to this

From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation


Attachment RESPONSE.PDF.pdf
175K Download View as HTML


Dear Mr Lawson

 

Please find attached our response to your request for information under
the Official Information Act 1982, dated 23 February 2017.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Government Services

 

 

 

Disclaimer:

"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."

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