NEW ZEALAND | A Bupa care home in Whakatāne has been found to have breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights over the care of an elderly resident, with failures identified across wound care, nutrition, pain management, falls management, and end-of-life care.
The findings relate to a man in his mid-80s who entered Bupa Mary Shapley Care Home in June 2021 requiring hospital-level care. He had several health conditions, including severe osteoarthritis, prostate cancer, and chronic leg ulcers, and died in hospital in April 2022.
The Health and Disability Commissioner report has not yet been publicly released and is expected in October. However, the Whakatāne Beacon reported that Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall found Bupa had failed to provide services with reasonable care and skill.
Among the most serious findings was the management of the resident’s leg wounds. According to the reported HDC findings, maggots were found and removed from the wounds on five occasions between 1 March and 15 April 2022. Staff were also found to have been unclear about how frequently dressings should be changed.
The investigation also identified shortcomings in nutritional care. A nutritional assessment classified the resident as malnourished, but the reported findings said there was no documented management plan despite ongoing weight loss.
Further concerns involved pain management, falls, the use of lifting equipment, access to assistance, and end-of-life care. The Commissioner acknowledged the significant staffing pressures created by a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, but found these did not remove Bupa’s responsibility to provide an appropriate standard of care.
Bupa apologised for the care provided and acknowledged that communication with the resident’s family had also fallen short.
The company said staffing challenges during the prolonged COVID-19 outbreak had affected the care it was able to provide and said it had formally apologised to the family in 2022 as part of its response to the HDC complaint.
Bupa said it had since worked with Te Whatu Ora to strengthen clinical oversight and communication at Mary Shapley. Changes included reviewing staffing levels, introducing electronic clinical records, increasing access to specialist clinical support, changing GP providers, and implementing its Deterioration Early Warning System.
It has also introduced its Blua app, which gives families access to information about residents’ care plans and day-to-day care. Bupa acknowledged that technology alone did not deliver good care and said recruitment remained a challenge in the Whakatāne area.
The finding comes against a more complicated current regulatory picture.
Mary Shapley remains Ministry of Health certified until June 2027. However, its October 2025 surveillance audit identified areas requiring improvement, including complaints management, staff appraisals, monitoring charts, infection control, medication competencies, and continuing issues involving aspects of the quality programme and care-plan interventions. The Ministry records that some corrective actions have subsequently been reported as completed.
The full HDC decision will provide a clearer basis for assessing both the failures identified and the remedial action taken when it is released publicly.
Also worth reading Bupa NZ Launches Blua App.
