'A senior nurse at Starship hospital's child protection unit told a conference of medical professionals that "all parents are liars until proved otherwise", doctors who attended say.

The revelation comes after a Sunday Star-Times investigation into practices at the unit, Te Puaruruhau, revealed concern it is being run like a police station, with staff treating parents as guilty until proven innocent over unexplained injuries. Families have complained that the unit's doctors rushed to judgements, refused to budge from their initial assessments, and failed to apologise when injuries were shown to be accidental.

There has also been judicial criticism, with a judge saying doctors in one case seemed to have closed minds and had not considered alternative explanations.'

Read more: All Parents Lie Declares Starship Nurse