Public information regarding puberty blockers
K Isaac made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
The request was successful.
From: K Isaac
Dear Ministry of Health,
Under the Official Information Act I request any and all relevant information to respond to the below question:
On what clinical and evidential basis do you state (in reference to puberty blockers) that they are a "safe and fully reversible medicine" when the NHS guidance in the UK states that "Little is known about the long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with gender dysphoria"
References:
"Blockers are a safe and fully reversible medicine that may be used from early puberty through to later adolescence to help ease distress and allow time to fully explore gender health options." (https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/h...)
"Little is known about the long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with gender dysphoria. Although the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) advises this is a physically reversible treatment if stopped, it is not known what the psychological effects may be. It's also not known whether hormone blockers affect the development of the teenage brain or children's bones. Side effects may also include hot flushes, fatigue and mood alterations." (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dys...)?
Yours faithfully,
K Isaac
Ministry of Health
Kia ora
I am writing further to your request for official information:
On what clinical and evidential basis do you state (in reference to
puberty blockers) that they are a "safe and fully reversible medicine"
when the NHS guidance in the UK states that "Little is known about the
long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with
gender dysphoria"
References:
"Blockers are a safe and fully reversible medicine that may be used from
early puberty through to later adolescence to help ease distress and allow
time to fully explore gender health options."
([1]https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/h...)
"Little is known about the long-term side effects of hormone or puberty
blockers in children with gender dysphoria. Although the Gender Identity
Development Service (GIDS) advises this is a physically reversible
treatment if stopped, it is not known what the psychological effects may
be. It's also not known whether hormone blockers affect the development of
the teenage brain or children's bones. Side effects may also include hot
flushes, fatigue and mood alterations."
([2]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
As set out in section 12 of the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act),
if you wish to pursue obtaining information that is not in the public
domain, you may be asked to provide evidence that you meet the
requirements of the Act, as set out below.
Section 12
(1) Any person, being—
(a) a New Zealand citizen; or
(b) a permanent resident of New Zealand; or
(c) a person who is in New Zealand; or
(d) a body corporate which is incorporated in New Zealand; or
(e) a body corporate which is incorporated outside New Zealand but which
has a place of business in New Zealand,—
If you are requesting information through FYI.org.nz, please be advised
that copies of your personal ID may be published on this website. The
Ministry recommends that you send us this information privately through
[email address]
If you could please provide a response by 30 September 2020 so the
Ministry can proceed to processing your request.
Please note that if we do not receive a response from you by this date,
your request will be withdrawn.
For further information about the Act, please refer to the New Zealand
Legislation website:
[3]http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any queries.
Ngâ mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
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References
Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/h...
2. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
3. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
Ministry of Health
Kia ora
As you have not provided evidence that you meet the requirements of
section 12 of the Act, your request has been withdrawn and is now deemed
closed.
Ngâ mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
From: OIA Requests/MOH
To: [FOI #13869 email]
Cc: OIA Requests/MOH@MOH
Date: 28/09/2020 09:20 am
Subject: Further information required, ref: H202007421
Sent by: Alisha Schmidt
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References
Visible links
1. https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/h...
2. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
3. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
From: K Isaac
Dear Ministry of Health,
Firstly, the timeframe provided of two working days to provide the information that you requested is unreasonable and there is no provision under the Section 15 of the Act for you to close my request within that timeframe. As such, I require you to reopen this request. Failure to do so will result in a complaint to the Ombudsman.
Secondly, there is no provision under Section 12 of the Act for you to require personal ID from requestors before you progress a request. Please provide either the relevant section of the Act OR the relevant Ombudsman's ruling under which you are requiring this.
Yours faithfully,
K Isaac
Ministry of Health
Kia ora K Issac
To be eligible to request information under the Act, a requester must be:
- a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident;
- a person in New Zealand; or
- a corporate entity (that is, a company or an incorporated society) which
is either incorporated in New Zealand or has a place of business here.
Refer to section 12 of the Act here:
[1]http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
Agencies are entitled to make reasonable enquiries to satisfy themselves
that a requester is eligible to make a request under the Act, refer to the
Ombudsman guide here:
[2]https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...
Please provide some form of identification to us and we will re-open your
request. The Ministry's OIA email address is located on our website:
[3]https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
A form of identification may be a personal ID or bill statement that
outlines your name and address.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
From: "K Isaac" <[FOI #13869 email]>
To: "OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of Health" <[Ministry of Health request email]>
Date: 01/10/2020 07:36 am
Subject: Re: Further information required, ref: H202007421
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References
Visible links
1.
[4]https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/h...
2.
[5]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
3.
[6]http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&a...
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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #13869 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
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References
Visible links
1. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
2. https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/site...
3. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
4. https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/h...
5. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
6. http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&a...
7. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
From: K Isaac
Dear Ministry of Health,
Thank you for your clarification. I will send through evidence to the nominated email address. I will remove from that evidence all identifying details except those required to demonstrate eligibility. However, I will not be able to do so until early next week.
I note the Ombudsman's guidance that:
"Agencies are entitled to make reasonable enquiries to satisfy themselves that a requester is eligible to make a request under the OIA. However, the eligibility requirement is not about imposing unnecessary barriers to legitimate requests. Agencies should only query eligibility if there is a genuine need to do so, and they should be mindful of their obligation to provide reasonable assistance to requesters. Time taken to confirm eligibility may mean less time is available for processing a request that is subsequently confirmed to be valid... Querying a requester’s eligibility will not affect the date that a request was received. The working day count still starts from the day after the request was received, not the day after eligibility was confirmed."
As such I note that your closure of my request while awaiting my response/confirmation of eligibility is not in line with the Ombudsman's guidance or the Act itself, that it continues to be a valid request and we are currently on Day 4 with Day 20 being Friday, 23 October.
Yours faithfully,
K Isaac
Ministry of Health
Kia ora K Issac
Thank you providing evidence that you meet section 12 of the Act.
On 26 September 2020 you have requested the following:
On what clinical and evidential basis do you state (in reference to
puberty blockers) that they are a "safe and fully reversible medicine"
when the NHS guidance in the UK states that "Little is known about the
long-term side effects of hormone or puberty blockers in children with
gender dysphoria"
The Ministry's reference number for your request is: H202007421.
As required under the Official Information Act 1982 we will endeavour to
respond to your request no later than 23 October 2020, being 20 working
days after the day your request was received.
If we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we
will notify you of an extension of that time frame.
If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.
Ngâ mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
From: "K Isaac" <[FOI #13869 email]>
To: "OIA/LGOIMA requests at Ministry of Health" <[Ministry of Health request email]>
Date: 01/10/2020 06:09 pm
Subject: Re: Further information required, ref: H202007421
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Dear Ministry of Health,
Thank you for your clarification. I will send through evidence to the
nominated email address. I will remove from that evidence all identifying
details except those required to demonstrate eligibility. However, I will
not be able to do so until early next week.
I note the Ombudsman's guidance that:
"Agencies are entitled to make reasonable enquiries to satisfy themselves
that a requester is eligible to make a request under the OIA. However, the
eligibility requirement is not about imposing unnecessary barriers to
legitimate requests. Agencies should only query eligibility if there is a
genuine need to do so, and they should be mindful of their obligation to
provide reasonable assistance to requesters. Time taken to confirm
eligibility may mean less time is available for processing a request that
is subsequently confirmed to be valid... Querying a requester’s
eligibility will not affect the date that a request was received. The
working day count still starts from the day after the request was
received, not the day after eligibility was confirmed."
As such I note that your closure of my request while awaiting my
response/confirmation of eligibility is not in line with the Ombudsman's
guidance or the Act itself, that it continues to be a valid request and we
are currently on Day 4 with Day 20 being Friday, 23 October.
Yours faithfully,
K Isaac
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Ministry of Health
Kia ora
Please find attached a letter regarding your request for official
information.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
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