21 September 2021 
 
 
 
Anthony Jordan 
[FYI request #16365 email] 
 
 
Tēnā koe Anthony  
 
 
Your Official Information Act request, reference: GOV-013320 
Thank you for your email of 9 August 2021, asking for the following information under the Official 
Information Act 1982 (the Act): 
 
1.  Names of Clinicians who have been Contracted by the ACC to attend External Medical Panel 
meetings for the purpose of perusing Claimants files and providing a Subsequent report (Since its 
establishment in December 2013) 
2.   Scope of Practice the ACC believes they are qualified to consult and make Subsequent Opinions 
3.  Scope of Practice the ACC believes they are qualified to consult and make Subsequent Diagnosis 
at such a meeting 
4.  Names of Panels Members used, by the ACC, to comment on Mild Traumatic Brain 
Injury/Concussion related files 
5.  Documentation provided to the ACC that would indicate those Panel members were 
appropriately qualified to consult in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion issues 
 
Names of clinicians who attended External Medical Panel meetings 
Due to the disestablishment of the External Medical Panel (EMP), and the recent changes in the way 
that ACC stores information, we have not been able to locate all the names of clinicians who attended 
EMP meetings since 2013. We have been able to identify a small number of panel members, but we are 
withholding these names, in order to protect their privacy under section 9(2)(a) of the Act. We have 
determined that there exists a low public interest in releasing the names of a very limited number of 
clinicians, and so their rights to privacy outlined in section 9(2)(a) outweigh the public interest in the 
release of this information.  
 
Scope of practice and appropriate qualifications  
The purpose of EMPs was ‘to provide a medical opinion based on consensus around diagnosis, causation 
and management with the aim of resolving differing clinical interpretations in cases of clinical 
complexity’. This provided the panels with a broad representation of health professionals (including 
medical). Clinicians representing a range of medical specialties in a multidisciplinary panel allowed for a 
range of perspectives to be considered. ACC relies on clinical professionals to be competent in their 
scope of practice, which is confirmed by their regulatory authority. 
 
ACC does not hold information on clinicians’ qualifications, as we rely on the regulatory authority to 
confirm appropriate qualifications for practice.  Therefore, we are refusing this part of your request as 
the information is hot held by ACC. This decision is made under section 18(g) of the Act.  
 
 
 

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GOV-013320 
Who to contact  
If you have any questions, you can email me at [email address]. 
 
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman. 
Information about how to do this is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 
802 602. 
 
Nāku iti noa, nā 
 
Sasha Wood 
Manager Official Information Act Services 
Government Engagement & Support 
 
Accident Compensation Corporation  
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