133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
Richard James
By email:
[FYI request #15251 email]
Ref:
H202104834
Dear Richard James
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health (the Ministry) on 22 April 2021 for:
“I request information regarding additional payments made to all Air Ambulance providers
by the Ministry of Health or District Health Boards during the period April 2020 to April
2021.
This request is for details on payments to providers over and above individual patient
transfers i.e. any payment made irrespective of work done, particularly with regard to
payments that may have been requested by providers during lockdown.
'Air Ambulance provider' refers both to those contracted to provide rotary wing services
through the National Ambulance Sector Office (NASO) & those providing fixed wing
services for DHB transfers. This includes, but is not limited to payments made to GCH
Aviation, Skyline Aviation, Life Flight, Northland Helicopters, Air Whanganui etc.
Please provide details of any payments broken down by:
- Date paid
- Amount paid
- Name of provider to whom it was paid”
The information you have requested regarding payments made by the Ministry to rotary wing
providers contain commercially sensitive information, and information that may prejudice
subsequent negotiations. As such, your request has been refused in full under sections
9(2)(b)(i ) and 9(2)(j) of the Act.
Additionally, information relating to fixed wing services for district health board (DHB) transfers,
is not held by the Ministry. Although this information is held by the individual DHBs and could be
transferred to them, it may be more practical for you to submit a further request to the relevant
DHBs you wish to receive information from.
A list of providers that received funding as part of the COVID-19 Response and Recovery
Funding Packaging can be found here:
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/system/files/2020-05/b20-
sum-initiatives-crrf.pdf.
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
Ministry website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests.
Yours sincerely
Carleine Receveur
Acting Group Manager, Primary Health Care System Improvement and Innovation
Health System Improvement and Innovation
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