Health New Zealand Southern has apologised for multiple delays to the treatment of a young man’s eye which led to the growth of a cancerous tumour. A decision released by the Health and Disability Commissioner yesterday said HNZ missed multiple opportunities to identify the tumour between the man’s first appointment with the ophthalmology service in April 2019, when he complained about a lack of vision in his right eye, and his appointments in July 2021, when he finally received radiation treatment. The commissioner criticised HNZ Southern for the lack of communication between the ophthalmology and radiology departments throughout the man’s treatment. ‘‘I am satisfied that several opportunities existed for recognition that the referral to radiation oncology had not occurred, including contact with the neurosurgical team in April and July 2020, although a critical communication error also occurred after the first neuro-oncology multidisciplinary meeting [MDM].…