25 October 2022
Jim Mac
[FYI request #20660 email]
Tēnā koe Jim,
Your Official Information Act request, reference H2022013384:
Thank you for your email of 25 September 2022 requesting information relating to respiratory
related deaths and hospitalisations.
As part of the health and disability system reforms, as of 1 July 2022 the functions previously under
the Manatū Hauora Data & Digital directorate have transferred to Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand
(Te Whatu Ora). As the matters you have raised now fal under the functions of Te Whatu Ora, our
agency will respond to your request which has been considered under the Official Information Act
1982 (the Act). You requested the fol owing:
please provide the total figures for all non-COVID respiratory related deaths and hospitalisations
from 1st January 2018 until 1st September 2022 broken down by month.
While Te Whatu Ora is able to provide hospitalisations for respiratory illnesses, it is difficult to
separate this into COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related respiratory illnesses. Please keep in mind that
not all COVID-19 hospitalisations are classified as respiratory disease. For example, if a patient with
COVID-19 has a heart attack and is hospitalised (with COVID-19 being incidental), this would not be
classified as a respiratory event.
In addition, the presence of a COVID-19 code linked to a hospitalisation does not necessarily mean
that the respiratory diagnosis was related to COVID-19. We are unable to assume the causal link
between these two factors. For example, a patient might contract COVID-19 during their stay for
another, different respiratory disease.
Because of this, Te Whatu Ora cannot easily identify non-COVID-19 respiratory hospitalisations from
the data and information currently held. While the Act al ows New Zealanders to ask for information
from Ministers and government agencies, there is no requirement for agencies to create new
information or compile information they do not hold. Therefore, your request has been refused
under section 18(g) of the Act, as the information is not held by Te Whatu Ora.
Please find two tables attached as Appendix 1. Table 1 provides deaths caused by respiratory disease
in 2018, broken down by month. Table 2 provides discharges from publicly funded hospitals coded to
respiratory disease (including COVID-19), from January 2018 to August 2022, broken down by month.
The data in Table 2 for 2021 and 2022 is currently provisional and may be subject to change.
Table 1 denotes deaths that were registered in 2018 – patients who died in December 2018 may not
have been registered until 2019 and would therefore not be included in the data provided.
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
83 Molesworth Street, PO Box 5013
Welington New Zealand 6140
More recent mortality data is not currently available. After the close of a calendar year, there is a 12–
18-month process to assign cause of death codes to most deaths in that year. The Ministry’s clinical
coding team reviews the death certificate and health history of the deceased, to assign cause of
death codes. Approximately 10% of deaths are referred to the Coroner each year to determine
cause. Deaths that require a coronial inquiry can take 2-3 or more years for cause of death to be
assigned. We do not make mortality data available publicly until the majority of deaths have been
assigned a cause of death, so that the data we release is complete and accurate. The Chief Coroner
has noted delays in the time it is taking them to assign cause of death codes.
I trust the information provided is of assistance. You are advised of your right to also raise any
concerns with the Office of the Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Gaynor Bradfield
Manager
Office of the Chief Data and Digital
Appendix 1
Table 1 - deaths caused by respiratory disease in 2018, broken
down by month.
Calendar year and month of death
Number of deaths
January 2018
188
February 2018
146
March 2018
201
April 2018
242
May 2018
221
1982
June 2018
239
July 2018
299
August 2018
354
ACT
September 2018
304
October 2018
267
November 2018
247
December 2018
150
INFORMATION
OFFICIAL
THE
UNDER
RELEASED
Appendix 1
Table 2 - discharges from publicly funded hospitals coded to
respiratory disease (including COVID-19), from January 2018
to August 2022, broken down by month.
Calendar year and month of discharge
Number of discharges
January 2018
1896
February 2018
1781
March 2018
2067
April 2018
2009
1982
May 2018
2249
June 2018
2948
July 2018
3928
ACT
August 2018
4778
September 2018
4117
October 2018
2868
November 2018
2324
December 2018
2093
January 2019
1882
February 2019
1640
March 2019
2320
April 2019
2425
INFORMATION
May 2019
3399
June 2019
4750
July 2019
5135
August 2019
3986
September 2019
3285
October 2019
2725
OFFICIAL
November 2019
2148
December 2019
2022
January 2020
THE
1995
February 2020
1739
March 2020
1941
April 2020
1063
May 2020
929
June 2020
UNDER
1356
July 2020
1656
August 2020
1674
September 2020
1457
October 2020
1743
November 2020
2262
December 2020
2398
January 2021
RELEASED
1567
February 2021
1398
March 2021
1555
April 2021
1663
May 2021
1733
Appendix 1
Table 2 - discharges from publicly funded hospitals coded to
respiratory disease (including COVID-19), from January 2018
to August 2022, broken down by month.
June 2021
2704
July 2021
3849
August 2021
2817
September 2021
1300
October 2021
1430
1982
November 2021
1689
December 2021
1795
January 2022
1458
ACT
February 2022
1528
March 2022
2196
April 2022
1662
May 2022
2447
June 2022
5652
July 2022
4290
August 2022
3702
INFORMATION
OFFICIAL
THE
UNDER
RELEASED
Document Outline
