Māori Patients Face Higher Death Rates After Bowel Cancer Surgery, Study Finds

Atereano Mateariki Cameron Wells | Māori Patients Face Higher Death Rates After Bowel Cancer Surgery, Study Finds

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Māori patients are nearly twice as likely to die from complications following bowel cancer surgery, according to new research published in the British Journal of Surgery.

Lead author Dr Cameron Wells says the disparity stems from systemic failures in post-operative care, including delays in recognising and treating complications, and a one-size-fits-all approach that puts Māori lives at risk.

“To fix this, I think we really need to re-examine what recovering from surgery looks like, and to come up with initiatives and solutions in collaboration with Māori communities to make sure that we’re not letting them down in the way that we have,” says Wells.

Wells says both structural reforms and on-the-ground hospital initiatives are needed to close the gap in surgical outcomes for Māori.

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