19 September 2023
T Smith
[FYI request #23307 email]
Tēnā koe,
Your request for Official information, reference: HNZ00024080
Thank you for your email on 29 June 2023, asking for the following under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act):
“to request specific information regarding the implementation of the Health Quality & Safety
Commission (HQSC) Code of Expectations for Engaging with Consumers in the mental
health and addiction space at Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ). I kindly request your assistance
in providing the following information:
I am particularly interested in understanding how Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) is valuing lived
experience equally alongside clinical expertise in consumer engagement within the mental
health and addiction sector. Therefore, I kindly request detailed information on the
following:
Policies and Procedures:
Please provide any policies, procedures, or guidelines developed and implemented by Te
Whatu Ora (Health NZ) that explicitly address the integration of lived experience and
clinical expertise in consumer engagement within the mental health and addiction space.
This may include documents that outline the expectations, methodologies, and approaches
employed by Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) to ensure equal valuing of lived experience and
clinical expertise in mental health and addiction services.
Training and Development:
Please provide details of any training initiatives, workshops, or educational programs
conducted by Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) to enhance staff members' understanding and
application of the HQSC Code of Expectations for Engaging with Consumers, with a
specific focus on valuing lived experience equally alongside clinical expertise within the
mental health and addiction sector. This may include materials, curriculum outlines, or
reports related to such training programs.
Engagement Practices and Initiatives:
Please provide examples of specific initiatives, projects, or activities undertaken by Te
Whatu Ora (Health NZ) to actively engage consumers with lived experience of mental
health and addiction issues and incorporate their perspectives on an equal footing with
clinical expertise. This may include details on how consumer feedback and perspectives
are sought, integrated, and utilized within decision-making processes, service design,
quality improvement, and resource allocation in the mental health and addiction sector.
Evaluation and Reporting:
Please provide any reports, assessments, or evaluations conducted by Te Whatu Ora
(Health NZ) to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the HQSC Code of
Expectations for Engaging with Consumers in valuing lived experience equally alongside
clinical expertise within the mental health and addiction sector. This may include any
measures or indicators used to evaluate progress, outcomes, and impact in this area.
Strategic Plans and Future Directions:
Please provide information on any strategies, plans, or future initiatives that Te Whatu Ora
(Health NZ) has developed or intends to undertake to further enhance the equal valuing of
lived experience and clinical expertise in consumer engagement within the mental health
and addiction space. This may include any considerations or goals related to advancing
consumer partnership, co-designing services, and embedding a culture of equitable
collaboration between consumers and clinical experts in the mental health and addiction
sector.
I request that the information be provided in electronic format, preferably via email, to the
email address listed above. If any part of my request is unclear or requires further
clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I understand that there may be costs associated with processing my request. If this is the
case, I would appreciate being informed in advance, and I am willing to consider the
payment of reasonable charges as required by the Official Information Act.”
Mental health is a government priority area in which improved health outcomes are sought. It
involves consideration of a broad range of factors that influence people’s health. In response to the
2018 ‘He Ara Oranga’ report concerning mental health and addiction services, ‘Kia Manawanui
Aotearoa – Long-term pathway to mental wellbeing’ (Plan) was developed. This high-level Plan is
the basis for the transformation of services to support the mental wellbeing of New Zealanders. For
further detail, please see Kia Manawanui Aotearoa
https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/kia-
manawanui-aotearoa-long-term-pathway-mental-wellbeing
Recent Budgets have supported the adoption and implementation of this Plan and provided
significant investment for mental health services. There is a lot to do to improve access to mental
health and addiction services and there is a commitment to continue to grow services at a primary,
community and hospital level.
Your request for all information is very broad, and substantial manual collation would be required to
locate and prepare all documents within scope of your request. As such, I refuse your request under
section 18(f) of the Act.
I have considered whether fixing a charge for the supply of the information or extending the
timeframe for response would enable Te Whatu Ora to respond. I do not consider that either option
would remove the impact that supplying the information would have on our other operations.
It is important that we hear about experiences of health care services to better understand how and
where they need to be improved. The perspectives of people with lived experience of mental
distress and mental health conditions can inform the development of mental health services in
Aotearoa.
It may be useful for you to know that:
• All specialist mental health services have lived experience roles and teams
• Standards require lived experience engagement in the design, delivery and evaluation of
mental health services
• Each district will have policies and procedures that guide engagement with people with
lived experience
• All staff receive training on the Code
• There has been extensive work lead by Te Pou on lived experience roles
• There is a National Association for Mental Health Consumer Advisors (NAMHSCA) – all
those employed in lived experience leadership roles across Te Whatu Ora
We would like to provide you with some publicly available information to help you with your request.
Please see the links below for publicly available information:.
https://www.tepou.co.nz/our-work/lived-experience
https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/consumer-hub/engaging-consumers-and-whanau/code-of-expectations-
for-health-entities-engagement-with-consumers-and-whanau/
https://www.namhsca.org.nz/index.php
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[Health New Zealand request email]. 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
Karla Bergquist
National Lead, Mental Health and Addiction
Hospital and Specialist Serviecs
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
