Request for the supply of a copy of guidelines the DHB ACC patient discharges that applied as at 1 July 2014, and all subsequent updates.

David Lawson made this Official Information request to Accident Compensation Corporation

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Accident Compensation Corporation should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: David Lawson

Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

I refer you to ACC's publication ACC News, specifically the May 2008 - ISSUE 111 which has referenced on the bottom of the last page ACC4631.

On page 1 of this newsletter to health care professionals contained within the first article headed ACC/DHB Hospital Services Group it is stated;

"The Group's achievements in the past couple of years have included;

> agreeing guidelines for DHB ACC patient discharges"

Request 1

It would be appreciated if you would supply me under the OIA a copy of the guidelines for Waitemata District Health Board ACC patient discharges that applied between the 20 and 21 November 2014.

Request 2

It would be appreciated if you would supply me under the OIA a copies of any and all updates to the guidelines for Waitemata District Health Board ACC patient discharges that came into force between 21 November 2014 and 1 July 2016.

Request 3

It would be appreciated if you would supply me under the OIA a copy of the guidelines for Waitemata District Health Board ACC patient registration claim and entitlement registration which outlines the WDHB's and ACC policy on the processes and responsibilities involved in the WDHB's staff registering claim details with ACC for the purposes of claims lodgement and entitlement purposes, and the guidelines for how ACC initiate the claim number that becomes attached to the patients injury. Please supply copies of these requested guidelines that applied to the period 20 - 21 November 2014.

Request 4.

Please supply copies of the same guidelines requested in Request 3 above, and any updates that applied between the period 21 November 2014 and the 1 July 2016.

Please ensure that actual copies of the originals are supplied as opposed to a generics copies, for copies of the original terms that specifically apply between the Waitemata District Health Board and ACC are be required for pending legal purposes.

I respectfully request that this information is supplied to me under the provisions of urgency within the next 10 working days, being by the end of business close on the 18 July 2017. In satisfying section 12 (c) of the OIA Act I advise that this information is required to establish whether the WDHB's has yet met their obligations in respect of correctly lodging with ACC the correct claim details with ACC for treatment received after an accidental injury to my spine during November 2014.

Copies of this information have been identified to have exist and therefore should be easily located, for the reproduction and supply to myself.

I than you for your time and assistance and confirm that under s16(2) of the Official Information Act, my preferred way of receiving a response is by email to the address from which ACC received the original request, not by post.

Yours faithfully,

David Lawson

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation

Good morning Mr Lawson

This email is to acknowledge your request of 5 July 2017.
We apologise for the delay in acknowledging your request.

We acknowledge you asked for this request to be treated with urgency. While the Official Information Act allows a requester to ask for a request to be processed urgently, agencies are not bound by such a request.
We are currently working on your request and will be in touch as soon as possible, and certainly by 31 July 2017.

Yours sincerely
OIA Services, Government Engagement and Support

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From: David Lawson

Dear Government Services,

Thank you for your response and I note your comments with respect to my request for urgency, also noting that no reason has been pro offered by Government Services in this instance providing your reasoning as to why urgency was unable to have been accommodated in my request.

The matter of urgency aside, ACC Government Services have recently advised that certain original physical copies of certain DHB contracts for which information I have requested, has been unattainable due to the information being not accessible due to matters stemming from the Wellington Earthquakes.

As the content of this current request requires copies of original documentation, should this information also be with held because it is currently not able to be accessed I would appreciate that in order to prevent unnecessary delay in the future provision of the information to me I respectfully request that under urgency within the next 2 business working days that you;

1. Confirm to me whether the original OIA information that I have sought in this request is currently stored in the earthquake damaged building, or another facility that it cannot be currently retrieved from for the purposed of copying and supplying to me. This information will be readily known to ACC Government Services, and would cause unnecessary additional delay to me in the supply of the official information that I seek, should ACC Government Services knowingly fail to advise me of this situation until 31 July 2017, when they could have either;

(i) asked if I was willing to accept a copy of the original information that I seek which is held on the necessary ACC back up system, or ACC general computer system, or the relevant ACC data storage system, or

(ii) transferred my request to the Waitemata District Health Board who will be required to have stored in their facilities copies of such official information for legal, operational and training purposes.

2. If the original copies of the information I seek is unattainable due to the Wellington Earthquakes, I would appreciate you confirming within the next 2 business working days that your will either;

(a) provide me by the 31 July 2017, with copies of the copies the the original information that ACC has stored on their computer and back up systems unaffected by the Wellington Earthquakes, and

(b) within the next two working days transferred to the Waitemata District Health Board, so that in the event ACC Government Services are unable to locate the information that I have requested, the Waitemata District Health Board can then provide the official information that I originally sought on the 5 July 2017, in a more timely manner.

I look forward to receiving back under urgency within the next 2 working days ACC Government Services confirmation of the manner in which ACC Government Services will be providing assistance, (based on my request for clarification and assistance today), in preventing any further potential and unnecessary delay in enabling the official information that I have requested from being provided to me.

I appreciate your time and assistance.

Yours sincerely,

David Lawson

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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation


Attachment ACC response 21 July 2017.pdf
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Good afternoon Mr Lawson

 

Please find attached ACC’s response to your request of 5 July 2017.

 

Yours sincerely

 

OIA Services

Government Engagement and Support

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