05 June 2020
Nigel Gray
Via FYI.org.nz
E-mail: [FYI request #12827 email]
Dear Mr Gray
Official Information Act (1982) Request
I write in response to your Official Information Act request, dated 22 May 2020, via a partial transfer
of your request to the Ministry of Health, under Section 14 of the Act. You requested the fol owing
information related to mental health and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT):
•
Can you please inform me of the precise number of these devices in NZ hospitals in present
time?
For context, CM Health Services provide health and support services to more than 569,400 people
residing in South Auckland, both in hospitals and community settings, along with some regional and
supra-regional specialist services (Burns, Plastics and Orthopaedics). Some specialist mental health
services, including Alcohol and Drug Addiction services, Forensic services and inpatient child and
adolescent services are provided to our Counties Manukau community by other DHBs for the entire
Auckland region. Our services are delivered via hospital, outpatient/ ambulatory and community-
based models of care.
With regard to your request,
• CM Health utilises a Thymatron IV machine to administer ECT to those individuals where this is
identified as a treatment by our Mental Health and Addictions clinicians.
• We currently have one of these machines at Middlemore Hospital.
I trust this information satisfactorily answers your query. If you are not satisfied with this response
you are entitled to seek a review of the response by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the
Official Information Act. Please note that this response or an edited version of this may be published
on the Counties Manukau DHB website.
Yours sincerely,
Fepulea’i Margie Apa
Chief Executive Officer
Counties Manukau Health
Counties Manukau District Health Board
Private Bag 93311, Otahuhu, Auckland
T: 09 276 0000 | cmdhb.org.nz