Dear Health New Zealand,
Dear Health New Zealand,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I would like to request the following information about abortions at Rotorua Hospital;

1. In 2022, How many abortions were performed at Rotorua Hospital up to 8 weeks in gestation?

2. In 2022, How many abortions were performed at Rotorua Hospital between 9 - 11 weeks gestation?

3. In 2022, How many abortions were performed at Rotorua Hospital between 13 - 16 weeks gestation?

4. In 2022, How many abortions were performed at Rotorua Hospital between 17 to 20 weeks gestation?

5. In 2022, How many abortions were performed at Rotorua Hospital between 21 to 25 weeks gestation?

6. In 2022, How many abortions were performed at Rotorua Hospital between 25 to 30 weeks gestation?

7. In 2022, How many abortions were performed at Rotorua Hospital at 31 weeks gestation and beyond?

8. How many of the total abortions in 2022 were 'medical' abortions and how many were 'surgical abortions?'

9. In 2022, How many women were referred to other abortion services for late term abortions (not offered at Rotorua Hospital)?

10. In 2022, How many of the total abortions in Rotorua were adminisitered outside the hospital setting? (e.g by telehealth or midwife)

11. In previous OIA requests, Lakes DHB informed me that some remains of aborted babies are cremated then scattered on a memorial garden. Where is this garden located?

Yours faithfully,
Jenny Chapman
0276315011

Dear hnzOIA,
Dear hnzOIA,

Please explain the discrepancies in numbers in your OIA response;

You stated that: 767 abortions up to 13 weeks, 17 abortions 14 to 19 wheels, 1 abortion 20 to 25 weeks which totals 785 abortions. However, when asked the total number of medical and surgical abortions you said:
Medical = 210
Surgical = 578

This means that 3 abortions aren't accounted for. Please explain.

Furthermore, your "no response" to my question about where cremated remains are scattered is evasive.

Yours sincerely,

Jenny Chapman

Dear hnzOIA,
I am pleased to say that I have received an apology from Te Whatu Ora after the Ombudsman found that Lakes DHB did not respond in a timely manner to my requests, or give adequate responses.
It took three years, from my initial requests for information, then inadequate responses from Lakes DHB to a decision from the Ombudsman and the subsequent apology.
My question to Te Whatu Ora and any interested parties is; if there is no moral issue with abortion, why is our medical system so secretive about the statistics pertaining to it?
For further questions, please contact me directly on [email address] or 0276315011

Yours sincerely,

Jenny Chapman