Dear Health New Zealand,

I am requesting the following information to assess Health New Zealand’s transparency, responsiveness, and internal handling of OIA requests during the tenure of the current Commissioner.

1. The official date Lester Levy commenced his role as Commissioner of Health New Zealand.

From that date until the date this request is received:
2. The total number of Official Information Act (OIA) requests received.

3. The number and percentage of OIA requests responded to within the statutory timeframe.

4. The average (mean, median, mode) response time for all OIA requests.

5. The number of extensions issued under section 15A of the Act.

6. The number of OIA-related complaints made to the Office of the Ombudsman, and the outcome of those complaints (e.g. resolved, upheld, declined, ongoing).

7. A copy of Health New Zealand’s current internal policy or guidelines for handling OIA requests, including documents outlining staff responsibilities, escalation processes, and response procedures.

8. Details of any reviews, audits, internal assessments, or process improvements made to Health New Zealand’s OIA handling practices since Lester Levy’s appointment - particularly those initiated in response to Ombudsman recommendations or public feedback.

Not for this request, but I will ask for this information in the future once the above has been addressed.
A full copy of all OIA requests received by Health New Zealand from the date Lester Levy began his role, along with all associated correspondence and responses. This includes:
- The original request submitted.
- Any internal or external communications discussing the request.
- The final response issued to the requester.

This request is made in the public interest, in light of recent commentary regarding transparency and accountability in the New Zealand public health sector.

Yours faithfully,

James G