'Disgraceful' ACC emails mocked claimant

06:14 AEST Sat Apr 14 2012

AAP

ACC is investigating after claimant Diane Smith was called "completely deranged" by ACC case managers in internal emails

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A woman battling ACC for entitlements was described by case managers as "completely deranged" and a "pain in arse person" in internal emails.

Auckland amputee Diane Smith discovered the comments after requesting her file from the Accident Compensation Corporation.

Mrs Smith, 54, fell on a cafe's broken steps in 2003, fracturing her left ankle and dislocating her knee, and six years later her lower leg was amputated following problems with a screw and plate inserted to repair her ankle.

She also developed shoulder problems after a long period using crutches.

The emails show ACC staff mocked Mrs Smith's requests for assistance, and one case manager called her claim "a NIGHTMARE!!", while another wrote in March 2008: "This woman is completely deranged".

Mrs Smith said the comments were "disgraceful".

"When you've got people treating you like you are a [bludger], they forget I had a major accident and I had a medical misadventure.

"I didn't ask to have an accident. You pay your taxes and your ACC levies to take care of you if something happens."

Even before viewing her file, she was given an apology by ACC team leader Lynne Flood - the third she had been given in four years, The New Zealand Herald reports.

"A few emails between ACC staff are not written to our required standards of professionalism and which you may find upsetting," Ms Flood wrote.

She said ACC was investigating and was working to improve its communication standards.

Mrs Smith has previously received apologies from ACC for failing to treat her with dignity and respect, and for failing to communicate honestly, openly and effectively, after battling for years for entitlements, including housing modifications and a new vehicle.

It's another embarrassment for ACC, just weeks after revelations that sensitive data about thousands of clients was accidentally sent to ACC claimant Bronwyn Pullar, in a saga that sparked a series of investigations and led to the resignation of former ACC minister Nick Smith.

User comments

I also had an accident falling down some steps hurting my lower back, Rt shoulder, neck and Rt arm. I was dumped from all ACC entitlements BEFORE the MRI Scans were done and BEFORE the Electromyography tests were done on my arm. What do you think about that? ACC letter read " ACC will cease all entitlements as there is no medical evidence of the injuries you have are related to the accident." How can this be when the tests ordered by an orthopaedic surgeon, have not been done yet? I am going to review but I bet I don't get anywhere as ACC will have some smart lawyer who will use jargon that no-one understands, I'm sure they themselves don't understand but it all sounds convincing to the adjudicator and it will be a whitewash.

It is no surprise that ACC staff behave the way they did. In fact employees of most government services like WINZ and PO are not far behind. For reason(s) best known to them, some of these staff members hold their clients with contempt. I bet if the Auditor-General is instructed to conduct a thorough audit, there would be more to reveal and so reflect the unacceptable attitude of some staff of these services. Some how these bad apples seem to forget that without their clients they would be out of job!

i bet they where white middle class people who were mocking her

orthopaedic surgeons favour ACC and Insurance if they are working also doing private surgeries and not a full time employee of the hospital only. They are biased as they make lot of money through ACC. Even radiology are biased giving opinion without taking patient history. But when history is given for review, they returning the films refusing to report. On one end they know very well and advice that after operating on their bones, you will be plastered for 3 months and bone will fully weld after which you get into rehab. But x-ray after injury not done and patient takes pain killers...with acute pain, then L5 facet fractures are reported claiming life long with some developmental defect even if at 46 years old you had no evidence of any associated deformities or pre-existing pain. Radiology or orthopaedic surgeons will not put on their report other fractures even after verbally agreed. DOES HERALD WANT TO JOIN IN MY NEXT APPOINTMENT AS I INVITE WAIVER OF CONFIDENTIALITY.?

Below the Email address that users have to fill in it says "Your email will not be shared with any third parties or published with your comment". Now being this is a comment regarding ACC im not so sure that the comment will remain within the confines of the ACC jurisdiction. The afore mentioned Diane Smith asked for and received her files from ACC and inside she also found unsolicited emails that had been bandied about by ACC staff who mocked the poor women and her disabilities, and who by the sounds of it made no attemp at all to help the woman in any endeavour she made to get help and the assistance she so rightly deserved I find this appalling, staff of ACC are just the same as any other worker be it tool pusher, cafe worker or *** cleaner. I would be highly disgusted to find that staff at ACC had been riculing my name and making fun of me. Who do they think they are, the whole department needs to be overhauled and cleaned out. I feel for Mrs Smith and i hope she gets satisfaction