22 November 2021
Mario Funken
Email: [FYI request #17237 email]
Dear Mario,
Re: Official Information Act request – Covid 19 Hospitalisation Data
I refer to your Official Information Act request 13 October 2021 seeking the following information:
1. What is the total number of Covid cases that required hospital care in your region since the
start of the current delta outbreak?
2. How many of those cases have been hospitalised for:
a) Covid-19 related acute health issues as a primary reason?
b) unrelated acute health issues as a primary reason while testing positive for Covid?
c) monitoring purposes only (no acute health issues at time of admission)?
3. What was the average time spent in hospital?
4. How many of those cases required supplemental oxygen at some point during their hospital
stay?
I am responding on behalf of the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC), the COVID-
19 response and vaccination team set up by the Northland, Waitematā, Auckland, and Counties
Manukau DHBs.
In an effort of timeliness, we have partially responded with data from Auckland and Waitematā
District Health Boards which can be found below. Please refer to attached extension letter regarding
CMDHB data which requires further consultation.
1. What is the total number of Covid cases that required hospital care in your region since the
start of the current delta outbreak?
As at week ending 24/10/2021 there have been 305 patients with 340 hospital events, who
had a COVID diagnosis (tested positive either prior to admission and not yet been recovered by
ARPHS or tested positive during their visit) and required hospital care.
Data breakdown by DHB:
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Total Number of cases that Hospital events who had a
required hospital care
COVID diagnosis*
WDHB
88
94
ADHB
139
149
CMDHB
78
97
Total
305
340
*Tested positive either prior to admission and not yet been recovered by ARPHs or tested positive
during their visit and required hospital care.
2. How many of those cases have been hospitalised for:
a) Covid-19 related acute health issues as a primary reason?
There have been 194 likely and 127 suspected hospital events - based on the primary clinical
care team. Data breakdown by DHB:
Covid-19 related acute health issues as a primary reason
Likely
Suspected Hospital Events
WDHB
88
94
ADHB
106
33
Total
194
127
b) Unrelated acute health issues as a primary reason while testing positive for Covid?
There have been 16 hospital events. Data breakdown by DHB:
Unrelated acute health issues as a primary reason while
testing positive for Covid
WDHB
6
ADHB
10
Total
16
c) Monitoring purposes only (no acute health issues at time of admission)?
This would require manual review of the patient notes relating to the 149 hospital events.
Please see our response to question 4.
3. What was the average time spent in hospital?
The average time spent in hospital was 4.7 days and 2.5 days for ADHB and WDHB
respectively.
4. How many of those cases required supplemental oxygen at some point during their hospital
stay?
This would require manual review of the patient notes relating to the 243 hospital events. In
this case and for Q2 c, each of these individuals’ files would need to be examined prior to be
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being anonymised before they could be examined to enable the col ation of this data, to
protect the health information they contain.
Given that DHB clinicians, managers and staff continue to concentrate on measures to
manage the current COVID-19 Delta outbreak in the region we are unable to assist you with
questions 2 c) and 4.
We have therefore decided to decline these parts of your request under Official Information
Act (OIA) (s9(2)(a) – to protect the privacy of individuals, and OIA s18(f) - substantial collation
and research.
You are entitled to seek a review of the response by the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the
Official Information Act. Information about how to make a complaint is at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, or an edited version of this response, may be published on the
Auckland DHB website.
Yours sincerely,
Ailsa Claire, OBE
Chief Executive of Te Toka Tumai (Auckland District Health Board)
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