14 July 2022
OIA Services Team
Ministry of Health | Manatu Hauora
Email
[email address] Dear Sir/Madam
Official Information Act Request – Emma Vitz
Ref: H202207438
Thank you for your request dated 7 June 2022 pursuant to the Official Information Act (OIA) 1982,
transferred by the Ministry of Health to Waikato DHB on 15 June 2022.
You requested the following information:
1. The total number of procedures outsourced by year (including the year to date) for the past
five years.
2. For each year, provide a breakdown of the type of procedure.
3. For each year, provide the total spend on outsourced elective surgeries.
4. For each year, provide the amount that these surgeries would have cost the DHBs if they
had not been outsourced.
The attached table provides a summary of the information requested for points 1, 2 and 3.
In relation to the information requested for point four it is difficult to provide an accurate cost of the
procedures undertaken within the hospital as the complexity of patients varies considerably, i.e.
many patients who have co-morbidities are not suitable to outsource to a private provider, therefore
length of stay, medications, type of procedure undertaken, varies to the straight forward non-complex
procedure. This information is therefore withheld under section 18(e) of the Official Information Act
1982 because the information does not exist.
You have the right 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
freephone 0800 802 602.
Waikato supports the open disclosure of information to assist community understanding of how we
are delivering publically funded healthcare. This includes the proactive publication of anonymised
Official Information Act responses on our website from 10 working days after they have been
released.
Yours sincerely
Chris Lowry (she/her)
Interim District Co-Director | Tumu Whakahaere ā Takiwā
Waikato
T
eWhatuOra.govt.nz
PO Box 3240, Hamilton, 3200
Waea pūkoro: +64 07 839 8899