A reminder from health authorities, that patients need to be warned about the dangers of the drugs they receive.

Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall has found a podiatric surgeon broke the rules, in his treatment of a woman with nerve damage in her ankle.

She found the surgeon gave the patient a steroid injection, without warning her about the risk of tissue breakdown.

The woman suffered an infected ulcer, which required surgical revision.

The surgeon was asked to attend training, and have his documentation audited.