Request for Disaggregated Data on Autism and/or ADHD in Aotearoa New Zealand
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
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From: Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
Kia ora Manatū Hauora,
I am writing to request all available data on New Zealanders diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD, with a specific focus on ethnic disaggregation to support an upcoming research project.
Scope of Request
Please provide time-series and cross-sectional data from all relevant datasets, including:
• Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI)
• Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment and service use data
• National Minimum Dataset (NMDS)
• National Non-Admitted Patient Collection (NNPAC)
• Mortality Collection
• Mental Health and Addiction Data
• Pharmaceutical Claims and Dispensing Data
• Hospital Discharge Data
• Outpatient and Specialist Services Data
• Any relevant disability support or neurodevelopmental service datasets
Required Disaggregation
Please disaggregate all data by:
• Ethnicity, using total response categories:
1. Māori
2. Pacific peoples (including sub-ethnic groups and Pacific peoples who also identify as Māori where possible)
3. Non-Māori, Non-Pacific
• Age group
• Sex
• Region/DHB of residence (historical) and current Te Whatu Ora region
• Socioeconomic status (NZDep or equivalent)
• Diagnosis type (autism, ADHD, or both [AuDHD])
• Service type and frequency of use
• Health outcomes (e.g., hospitalisation, medication use, specialist access)
Time Period
Please include all available data from 2000 to 2025 and note any limitations in data availability or quality.
Additional Notes
Where data is unavailable, please provide a rationale for why it is not routinely collected and/or publicly available, particularly given the government's outcome-driven funding model for health. Please also direct me to any policy or strategy the health system has currently to mitigate this policy paradox where data is required for healthcare provision funding, but is not funded for collection, thereby reinforcing structural inequities for Māori, Pacific, Disabled and Rainbow communities intersectionally challenged by neurodivergent conditions.
Yours faithfully,
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Elizabeth
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act), received by the Ministry of Health on 10 September 2025. You
requested:
Scope of Request
Please provide time-series and cross-sectional data from all relevant
datasets, including:
• Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI)
• Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment and service use data
• National Minimum Dataset (NMDS)
• National Non-Admitted Patient Collection (NNPAC)
• Mortality Collection
• Mental Health and Addiction Data
• Pharmaceutical Claims and Dispensing Data
• Hospital Discharge Data
• Outpatient and Specialist Services Data
• Any relevant disability support or neurodevelopmental service
datasets
Required Disaggregation
Please disaggregate all data by:
• Ethnicity, using total response categories:
1. Mâori
2. Pacific peoples (including sub-ethnic groups and Pacific peoples
who also identify as Mâori where possible)
3. Non-Mâori, Non-Pacific
• Age group
• Sex
• Region/DHB of residence (historical) and current Te Whatu Ora
region
• Socioeconomic status (NZDep or equivalent)
• Diagnosis type (autism, ADHD, or both [AuDHD])
• Service type and frequency of use
• Health outcomes (e.g., hospitalisation, medication use, specialist
access)
Time Period
Please include all available data from 2000 to 2025 and note any
limitations in data availability or quality.
Additional Notes
Where data is unavailable, please provide a rationale for why it is not
routinely collected and/or publicly available, particularly given the
government's outcome-driven funding model for health. Please also direct
me to any policy or strategy the health system has currently to mitigate
this policy paradox where data is required for healthcare provision
funding, but is not funded for collection, thereby reinforcing structural
inequities for Mâori, Pacific, Disabled and Rainbow communities
intersectionally challenged by neurodivergent conditions.
The reference number for your request is H2025072438. As required under
the Act, the Ministry will endeavour to respond to your request no later
than 20 working days after the day your request was
received: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch ([2][email address]).
Ngâ mihi
OIA Services Team
[3]Ministry of Health information releases
show quoted sections
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Elizabeth
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) to the Ministry of Health-Manatū Hauora on 10 September 2025.
“Scope of Request
Please provide time-series and cross-sectional data from all relevant
datasets, including:
• Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI)
• Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment and service use data
• National Minimum Dataset (NMDS)
• National Non-Admitted Patient Collection (NNPAC)
• Mortality Collection
• Mental Health and Addiction Data
• Pharmaceutical Claims and Dispensing Data
• Hospital Discharge Data
• Outpatient and Specialist Services Data
• Any relevant disability support or neurodevelopmental service
datasets
Required Disaggregation
Please disaggregate all data by:
• Ethnicity, using total response categories:
1. Māori
2. Pacific peoples (including sub-ethnic groups and Pacific peoples
who also identify as Māori where possible)
3. Non-Māori, Non-Pacific
• Age group
• Sex
• Region/DHB of residence (historical) and current Te Whatu Ora
region
• Socioeconomic status (NZDep or equivalent)
• Diagnosis type (autism, ADHD, or both [AuDHD])
• Service type and frequency of use
• Health outcomes (e.g., hospitalisation, medication use, specialist
access)
Time Period
Please include all available data from 2000 to 2025 and note any
limitations in data availability or quality.”
Your request asks for information which is more closely connected with the
functions of Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora). For this reason, the
Ministry has decided to transfer your request to Health New Zealand under
section 14(b)(ii) of the Act. You can expect a response from their agency
in due course. Their contact email is: [1][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: [2][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora
M[3]inistry of Health information releases
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
<[FOI #32278 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 10 September 2025 15:47
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Request for Disaggregated Data on
Autism and/or ADHD in Aotearoa New Zealand
Kia ora Manatū Hauora,
I am writing to request all available data on New Zealanders diagnosed
with autism and/or ADHD, with a specific focus on ethnic disaggregation to
support an upcoming research project.
Scope of Request
Please provide time-series and cross-sectional data from all relevant
datasets, including:
• Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI)
• Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment and service use data
• National Minimum Dataset (NMDS)
• National Non-Admitted Patient Collection (NNPAC)
• Mortality Collection
• Mental Health and Addiction Data
• Pharmaceutical Claims and Dispensing Data
• Hospital Discharge Data
• Outpatient and Specialist Services Data
• Any relevant disability support or neurodevelopmental service
datasets
Required Disaggregation
Please disaggregate all data by:
• Ethnicity, using total response categories:
1. Māori
2. Pacific peoples (including sub-ethnic groups and Pacific peoples
who also identify as Māori where possible)
3. Non-Māori, Non-Pacific
• Age group
• Sex
• Region/DHB of residence (historical) and current Te Whatu Ora
region
• Socioeconomic status (NZDep or equivalent)
• Diagnosis type (autism, ADHD, or both [AuDHD])
• Service type and frequency of use
• Health outcomes (e.g., hospitalisation, medication use, specialist
access)
Time Period
Please include all available data from 2000 to 2025 and note any
limitations in data availability or quality.
Additional Notes
Where data is unavailable, please provide a rationale for why it is not
routinely collected and/or publicly available, particularly given the
government's outcome-driven funding model for health. Please also direct
me to any policy or strategy the health system has currently to mitigate
this policy paradox where data is required for healthcare provision
funding, but is not funded for collection, thereby reinforcing structural
inequities for Māori, Pacific, Disabled and Rainbow communities
intersectionally challenged by neurodivergent conditions.
Yours faithfully,
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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From: hnzOIA
Tēnākoe,
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Depending on the nature of your request you may not receive a response for
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We will try to respond to your query as quickly as possible.
Ngā mihi
Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora.
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