Dear Minister for ACC

Under the OIA can you please advise me the number of vendors (doctors/specialists) contracted to the ACC and who, including but not limited to, perform medical case reviews, initial medical assessments, vocational initial medical assessments and impairment assessments. Can you also please give me the total number of vendors (doctors/specialists) overall contracted to the ACC who perform the aforementioned services, and a break-down of how this total is reached in terms of how many performed medical case reviews, how many performed initial medical assessments, how many performed vocational initial medical assessments and how many performed impairment assessments.

In addition, can you please provide a list of the names of the individual vendors (doctors/specialists) and their locations.

Lastly, can you please provide me with a further list showing the names of the vendors (doctors/specialists) and columns alongside this showing the total number of medical case reviews, initial medical assessments, vocational initial medical assessments and impairment assessments performed by each vendor (doctor/specialist) for the years 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, as well as the total dollars billed by each vendor (doctor/specialist) for the respect years aforementioned.

Yours faithfully,

Lee M.

Dear Government Services,

The intention and purpose of the FYI website is that members of the public may access and read responses to Official Information Act requests. You have defeated both in claiming that: "A response to this request has been sent to you directly. Please note that if you believe the information provided is in the public interest, you are free to post it on fyi.org.nz at your own discretion."

I want to know how you ascertained my identity when neither my first name nor my surname are published at the FYI website? I also want to know how you ascertained what address to post the requested information to when not only my first name and my surname, but also my private home address, were provided to FYI in the strictest of confidence, I know they have not disclosed this information to you, and I have also never disclosed my personal information to you or any other respondent through the FYI website? In addition, I want to know why I have been discriminated against by the ACC in terms of how differently you have responded to my FYI information requests compared to other FYI information requests?

I naturally consider that you have 'thumbed your nose' at my right to privacy and anonymity, and draw to your attention that Section 16 of the Official Information Act provides;

"(1A)
Subject to subsections (2) and (3), information made available in any of the ways listed under subsection (1) may be made available in electronic form or by electronic means.
(2)
Subject to section 17, the department or Minister of the Crown or organisation shall make the information available in the way preferred by the person requesting it unless to do so would—
(a)
impair efficient administration; or
(b)
be contrary to any legal duty of the department or Minister of the Crown or organisation in respect of the document; or
(c)
prejudice the interests protected by section 6 or section 7 or section 9 and (in the case of the interests protected by section 9) there is no countervailing public interest".

Patently obviously my preferred way of you making the requested information available to me was via the FYI website. Had this not been the case I would have made my information request by e-mail or by letter directly to the ACC.

I wish it to be noted that I have not received anything in the post at my private home address from ACC or its Government Services at date. In any event a response by post is not my preferred way of you making the information available to me and I now require you to publish your response at the FYI website.

Lastly, I do not have my "own discretion" to publish your response at the FYI website. Of course you know this. I am also not willing or prepared to go through the hassle of having to write to FYI to ask them to do this when you ought to have responded to my FYI information request at the FYI website and not by post to my private home address. And I am certain that FYI - which operates on a shoestring budget of public donations - would not be happy needing to scan and publish your response either.

This matter is being raised with the Ombudsman as a formal complaint and has also been cc'd to FYI management.

Yours sincerely,

Lee M.