11 May 2021
OIA Reference #: OIA2020121601
N Vaughan
Email: [FYI request #15150 email]
Dear N Vaughan
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) OIA2020121601 – Gifts to medical staff from pharmaceutical
companies
Thank you for your official information request, which was received by the Capital & Coast District
Health Board (CCDHB) on 13 April 2021. You requested the following information:
1
Do you keep a central gift register, which records details about what gifts medical staff
receive, who they are from, and the gift's value? If not, why not?
2.
How many staff in your DHB have accepted gifts (of any form) from pharmaceutical
companies? Information from the past 2-year period is preferred, including what these gifts
were, and their monetary value.
3.
Is there any policy in place that prevents medical staff from accepting some gifts from
pharmaceutical companies? If so, please send a copy of this policy.
In relation to disclosure of these gifts (from pharmaceutical companies):
4.
When must medical staff disclose these gifts to the hospital or DHB? If there is a related
policy, please send a copy.
5.
Are medical staff required to disclose these gifts to their patients? If there is a related
policy, please send a copy.
Our response to your request is below and is current with our gift register as at Tuesday, 4 May 2021.
Question 1:
CCDHB has a centralised gift register where we record details of gifts received by staff, including
medical staff. It is attached as appendix one (see particularly pages 10-14). The gift register captures
the:
• date of the gift(s) received
• description of the gift(s)
• name of the staff member who received the gift(s)
• an approximate value of the gift(s) received and
• the provider of the gift(s).
Question 2:
As at 4 May 2021, 82 staff members had received gifts from pharmaceutical companies over the
previous two years. The gifts were received on four separate occasions, and included sponsorship for an
annual education evening (over two years), one sponsorship for a staff member to attend a
Capital & Coast DHB | Private Bag 7902, Newtown, Wellington 6242
Wellington Regional Hospital, Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021
www.ccdhb.org.nz | Phone: 04 385 5999
| Fax: 04 385 5856
haemophilia summit, and one travel sponsorship for a staff member to attend a the 2019 annual
education evening.
The information is summarised in the table below:
Year
Description
Number of participants
Total Value
Sponsorship meal for the 2020 annual
2019
40
$4,000
education evening
Sponsorship travel cost: 2019 annual
2019
1
$710
education evening in Sydney
Sponsorship meal for the 2020 annual
2020
40
$4,000
education evening
Sponsorship: 2020 Personalising haemophilia
2020
1
$1,475
Summit
Total
82
$10,185
Question 3:
See the Sensitive Expenditure Policy attached as appendix one.
Question 4:
As per our Sensitive Expenditure Policy, all medical staff must seek approval from their manager prior
to accepting any gifts.
Question 5:
CCDHB does not publicly disclose gifts from external third parties.
I trust this information fulfils your request. You have the right, under section 28 of the OIA, to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a
complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or you can free phone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Āpiha Whakahaere Mātāmua | Chief Executive
Ūpoko ki te uru Hauora | Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley District Health Boards
Attached: Appendix one CCDHB Sensitive Expenditure Policy
C apital & Coast DHB | Private Bag 7902, Newtown, Wellington 6242
Wellington Regional Hospital, Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021
www.ccdhb.org.nz | Phone: 04 385 5999
| Fax: 04 385 5856