133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
25 August 2023
Campbell Larsen
By email: [email address]
Ref:
H2023030056 H2023031009
Tēnā koe Campell
Response to your request for official information Thank you for your requests under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to Manatū Hauora
(the Ministry of Health). On 1 August 2023 as a follow up to a previous response provided to
you (H2023028765 refers). You requested:
“Please advise if the provision of audit findings, Health Reports and legal advice on the
topic of operational compliance with obligations under legislation is achievable for the
specified timeframe.
If you are aware of a document set that meets my needs please provide the name(s) so I
may request it directly.”
As you have been advised, Manatū Hauora administers over 30 pieces of legislation which
changes over time. Information in scope of your request captures compliance with all pieces of
administered legislation, as well as compliance with general legislation. Recording of non-
compliance is not held in a single depository or document. Reducing the scope of your request
to audit findings, health reports and legal advice still captures information over 30 years,
dispersed over a range of filings and databases (including paper records) and not amenable to
a consistent key word search, even of electronic records.
However, you may be interested in court decisions, including in instances where Manatū
Hauora has appeared in court. These are publicly available here:
www.courtsofnz.govt.nz. Manatū Hauora also holds legislative compliance reports. A legislative compliance report for 1
July 2021 – 30 June 2022 has been attached to this letter as Appendix 1 and is released to you
in full.
On 22 August 2023, you requested:
“Copies of the Ministry of Health Complaints Policy, Procedures, contact details and other
relevant documents pertaining to the management of complaints within the Ministry, and
in association (via escalation or otherwise) with the Minister of Health.”
Currently, Manatū Hauora does not have a single complaints policy. As complaints can relate to
a range of different activities by the Ministry, any complaints that are received are triaged by
referral through to the relevant part of the Ministry for review, investigation as appropriate and
response. Therefore, your request for the Ministry of Health complaints policy and relevant
documents is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act.
Manatū Hauora is currently working towards a central complaints policy as part of our Integrity
workplan.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel
free to contact the OIA Services Team on:
[email address]. Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Phil Knipe
Chief Legal Advisor Government and Executive Services | Te Pou Whakatere Kāwanatanga
Page 2 of 2
