Planning and Funding
P O Box 1600,
Telephone: 0064 3 364 4130
CHRISTCHURCH
Fax: 0064 3 364 4165
[email address]
15 June 2020
Ms Amy Van Wey Lovatt
Email: [FYI request #12922 email];
Dear Ms Van Wey Lovatt
RE Official information request CDHB 10331 and WCDHB 9436
We are writing to acknowledge your email dated 29 May 2020 to the Ministry of Health which they
subsequently partially transferred to us on 12 June 2020 requesting information under the Official
Information Act from Canterbury DHB and West Coast DHB. Specifically, the Ministry transferred
Questions 4, 5 and 6 to us as follows:
4. The total number of incidents involving an allegation that a member of the public had
impersonated a physician, between 1 May 2019 and 31 August 2019, and in the event there were
such incidents reported, the date of the alleged incident, the names of the agencies the incidents were
reported to, and a description of the evidence provided to support the allegation of the incident.
5. The total number of incidents involving an allegation that a member of the public had gained
unauthorised access to a surgical theatre or pathology laboratory, between 1 May 2019 and 13
August 2019, and in the event there were such incidents reported, the date of the alleged incident, the
names of the agencies the incidents were reported to, and a description of the evidence provided to
support the allegation of the incident.
6. The total number of incidents involving an allegation that a DHB employee had engaged in the
interception of private email communications between a patient and a DHB employee, between
1 January 2019 and 29 May 2020, and in the event there were such incidents reported, the dates of the
incidents, the names of the agencies the incidents were reported to, a description of the evidence
provided to support the allegation of the incident, and the outcome of the investigation into the incidents
(e.g., District or High Court Case Number, Privacy Commissioner ruling, Ombudsman decision, Human
Rights Tribunal ruling, etc.).”
We will consider your request against the provisions of the Official Information Act (see below) and
advise you of our decision regarding the release of information within 20 working days (being the
statutory timeframe provided within the Act.)
Accordingly, we will notify you, no later than 13 July 2020, of our decision.
15 Decisions on requests
(1) Subject to this Act, the department or Minister of the Crown or organisation to whom a request is made in accordance wit
h section 12
or is transferred in accordance wit
h section 14 of this A
ct or section 12 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987 shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received
by that department or Minister of the Crown or organisation,—
(1)(a) decide whether the request is to be granted and, if it is to be granted, in what manner and for what charge (if any); and
(1)(b) give or post to the person who made the request notice of the decision on the request
[If we are unable to make a decision on your request by the date noted above, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.]
Your request is being handled by Kathleen Smitheram. If you have any queries, please feel free to
contact either myself (details above) or Kathleen.
([email address]; Phone 364-
4134). Please refer to the OIA number above when phoning or emailing.
If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to
contact us so that these can be taken into account.
Yours sincerely
Wayne Turp
Project Specialist
15 Decisions on requests
(1) Subject to this Act, the department or Minister of the Crown or organisation to whom a request is made in accordance wit
h section 12
or is transferred in accordance wit
h section 14 of this A
ct or section 12 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987 shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received
by that department or Minister of the Crown or organisation,—
(1)(a) decide whether the request is to be granted and, if it is to be granted, in what manner and for what charge (if any); and
(1)(b) give or post to the person who made the request notice of the decision on the request
[If we are unable to make a decision on your request by the date noted above, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.]
