A woman's condition has been exacerbated by an herbal plaster used to treat a blister she developed after several sessions of a fire cupping therapy at a Chinese medicine practitioner.
The woman was being treated for a shoulder injury and developed a blister on her final visit. The herbal plaster used by the practitioner contained unknown ingredients, which had infected the wound and had made it painful to remove.
Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Deborah James found the practitioner in multiple breaches of the Code of Health and Disability services Consumers' Rights for his fire cupping therapy. The New Zealand Acupuncture Standards Authority (NZASA) had carried out its own investigation and and report as well.
The breach included the failure of discussing the risks and side effects of the treatment with the woman, providing service with care and skill, and an explanation of the options available.
The woman was unable to give give an informed consent to the treatment because she was not informed of the risks and side effects.
"I agree with the New Zealand Acupuncture Standards Authority (NZASA) Guidelines that consent should be obtained through an ongoing process between the consumer and practitioner. It is not sufficient merely to rely on a signed consent form checked by a receptionist," said Ms James.
James had also found the practitioner had failed to provide services with reasonable care and skill, and record-keeping fell short.
She recommended that the practitioner apologise to the woman, develop a complete set of policies and procedures, including an informed consent and a complaints procedure, that are compliant with the Code, and arrange an NZASA audit of his patient notes.
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