A man who had emergency surgery in Auckland Hospital after a car accident - ended up with a life-altering injury when the procedure went wrong

He was left paralysed and with a suspected mild brain injury - after losing litres of blood when a chest fluid-drain was incorrectly inserted.

Open Justice reports Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Vanessa Caldwell found Health NZ and a surgeon didn't provide services with reasonable care and skill.

Recommendations included Health NZ updating its chest drain policy, and auditing 30 patients who'd had the procedure in the last year.