Ministry of Disabled People to investigate deaths of four people while in care

• There have been 87 deaths of disabled people in care in seven months
• Thirty-two of the deaths were at one provider alone
• Ministry of Disabled People is investigating four deaths

Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, has commissioned an independent investigation into the deaths of four people while in care.

The move was welcomed by one disability advocate who says she is concerned about all deaths in disability support homes.

Between 1 January and the end of July this year, 87 people with disabilities died while living in a residential service house, according to information released to RNZ under the Official Information Act.

That compares with 90 for the same period last year.

Whaikaha refused to release any detail about the deaths, including names of the providers or locations where the deaths occurred - citing privacy and commercial reasons.

The total number of disabled people in residential services is about 7500.

Whaikaha ministerial and executive services manager Emma Williams said the 87 deaths were reported to the ministry by service providers.

"A number of these deaths were from natural causes, disease, or illness and were not unexpected," she said in the response.

"It is important to note that many of the individuals in residential services settings have underlying conditions that contribute to increased risk of premature death, compared to that of the general population."

The 87 deaths were reported by 27 providers, with one provider reporting 32 deaths.

Another single provider reported seven deaths, while 11 providers reported one death.

Williams said of the 87 deaths, 20 were referred to the coroner by the providers, whose responsibility it is to determine whether to report a death.

Coroners can investigate deaths without known cause or those that may be self-inflicted, unnatural or violent.

It is unclear whether any of the deaths are being investigated by the Health and Disability Commissioner.

However, the ministry collects information from its contracted providers on whether they have undertaken an internal investigation following a death, Williams said.

"Each provider has their own policies and procedures to follow in the event of a death.

"Whaikaha reviews the information supplied by providers and can commission an investigation if it has concerns that there may be potential quality issues associated with the death."

Of the 87 deaths, 63 were not internally reviewed by the provider and 21 were, and Whaikaha was seeking answers over whether three deaths were reviewed.

The remaining four were now the subject of an independent investigation ordered by Whaikaha.

Whaikaha would not elaborate on why it ordered the investigation and only said it was ongoing.

Disability advocate Jane Carrigan baulked at the 32 deaths at a single provider and said they should ring alarm bells.

She welcomed the investigation of the four deaths.

"My guess would be they are taken from that 32 as representative of the sort of issues that are so concerning not even Whaikaha can turn a blind eye to it."

She said those issues included neglect, abuse and over-restraint.

In 2020, the Ombudsman criticised the Ministry of Health, at the time responsible for disability care, for its reporting about the deaths of people with intellectual disabilities receiving residential support.

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier said his investigation revealed 10 people whose deaths the ministry had been unaware of.

He said its systems for the collection, use and reporting of information about the deaths of intellectually disabled people in residential care were inadequate.

Boshier said New Zealanders with intellectual disabilities had overall poorer health outcomes and a shorter life expectancy by up to 24 years.

"There is concern that the deaths of some people with intellectual disabilities may be premature or avoidable."