Dear Ministry of Health,

I had submitted this request through to this authority only to have been notified that I was going to be contacted privately and through Te Whatu Ora New Zealand. After waiting a lengthy amount of time to get a formal response to the below questions, I received an email from Te Whatu Ora New Zealand today refusing to provide the information. Therefore so that there is no confusion, I would like the MInistry of Health to provide a formal response to the below questions. This is a seperate authority to Te Whatu Ora New Zealand and I will not accept the response I've received to my personal email address is satisfactory. I think it would be questionable for the MOH authority not to provide any information on Functional Neurological Disorder as there have been decisions made that deny persons here in New Zealand who have diagnosed disabilities the accessibility to funding to support them with navigating this diagnosed medical condition. As a public custodian of New Zealander's Health I would expect that the MOH provide information to the public about Functional Neurological Disorder because we do have a right to get access to information regarding this medical condition. If the MOH does not provide any information that is reasonable and relevant, I will make a complaint to the Ombudsman.

I am wanting ALL Official Information about Functional Neurological Disorder and the medical terms including diagnosis and symptoms, being used to describe this neurological disorder in the New Zealand Healthcare system

I am wanting ALL Official information about Functional Neurological Disorder and what resources neurology and medical staff have to support them, in the diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of patients in hospitals across New Zealand

I am wanting ALL Official information about Functional Neurological Disorder around government funding for FND across our hospitals, outpatient service providers and general practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of FND

I am wanting ALL Official Information about Functional Neurological Disorder around government funding for persons diagnosed with FND in New Zealand and eligibility criteria of FND against the current (DSS) disability-funded criteria of medical conditions

I am wanting ALL Official Information around what medical conditions are government funded (now Whaikaha-funded) and for how long (DSS eligibility criteria)

I am wanting ALL Official information around the Ministry of Health long term cross government disability policy work programme and what medical conditions have been currently included

I am wanting ALL Official information about the reasons why FND has been excluded from any government health related support

I am wanting ALL Official information about Functional Neurological Disorder and if we have any FND treatment clinics across New Zealand within the healthcare system for treatment of patients

I am wanting ALL Official information of statistics of persons in New Zealand diagnosed with FND (not including personal information of persons) just statistics only

Yours faithfully,

Sarah Brodrick

Te Whatu Ora New Zealand's response
Tēnā koe Sarah
Official information request HNZ00014340
Thank you for your email of 16 May 2023 to Te Whatu Ora requesting the following
information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
1. I am wanting ALL Official Information about Functional Neurological Disorder and the
medical terms including diagnosis and symptoms, being used to describe this
neurological disorder in the New Zealand Healthcare system
2. I am wanting ALL Official information about Functional Neurological Disorder and
what resources neurology and medical staff have to support them, in the diagnosis,
treatment and aftercare of patients in hospitals across New Zealand
3. I am wanting ALL Official information about Functional Neurological Disorder around
government funding for FND across our hospitals, outpatient service providers and
general practitioners in the diagnosis and treatment of FND
4. I am wanting ALL Official Information about Functional Neurological Disorder around
government funding for persons diagnosed with FND in New Zealand and eligibility
criteria of FND against the current (DSS) disability-funded criteria of medical
conditions
5. I am wanting ALL Official Information around what medical conditions are government
funded (now Whaikaha-funded) and for how long (DSS eligibility criteria)
6. I am wanting ALL Official information around the Ministry of Health long term cross
government disability policy work programme and what medical conditions have been
currently included
7. I am wanting ALL Official information about the reasons why FND has been excluded
from any government health related support
8. I am wanting ALL Official information about Functional Neurological Disorder and if
we have any FND treatment clinics across New Zealand within the healthcare system
for treatment of patients
9. I am wanting ALL Official information of statistics of persons in New Zealand
diagnosed with FND

On 13 June 2023, we extended your request by 20 working days under section 15A(1)(b) of
the Act, as consultations necessary to make a decision on the request were such that a
proper response to the request could not reasonably be made within the original time limit.

Furthermore, I understand that you have lodged the same request to the Ministry of Health
(MoH). While Te Whatu Ora considered a formal transfer under section 14(b)(ii) for part six of
your request, it was not deemed necessary as MoH also received the request.

As of 5 July 2023, we transferred part five of your request under section 14(b)(ii) of the Act, as the
information requested is believed to be more closely aligned with the functions of Whaikaha -
Ministry of Disabled People. As such, this part of your request was transferred to Whaikaha. You
can expect a response from Whaikaha in due course.
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Te Whatu Ora, PO Box 793,
Wellington 6140, New Zealand

I acknowledge the time it has taken to respond to the remainder of your request, and I sincerely
apologise for the delay. In relation to parts one, two, three, four, seven, eight and nine of your
request, standard diagnostic systems exist that will be the determinant of whether a condition is
within the broad domain of functional neurologic disorder (sometimes also known as conversion
disorder) but those systems are not created by nor held by Te Whatu Ora. Therefore, these parts
of your request are refused in full under section 18(e) of the Act, “as the document alleged to
contain the information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot
be found.”
If you have any questions, you can contact us 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.
Again, I am sorry for how long it has taken to confirm that we aren’t able to give you the information
you are looking.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Michael Cleary
Acting OIA Manager
Government Services

Dear OIA Requests,

As the Ministry of Health had transferred part of an OIR which I made on this website, through to Te Whatu Ora New Zealand a few weeks ago to respond too, I have decided to withdraw this new OIR request to seek out the gaps in the information with the Ministry of Health and have decided to pursue a formal complaint against Te Whatu Ora New Zealand with the Ombudsman directly, in regards to the health authority refusing to supply the information I have asked for.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Brodrick