13 September 2023
Jenny Chapman
[FYI request #22003 email]
Tēnā koe Jenny
Your request for Official information, reference: HNZ00029649
Thank you for your follow-up email re a previous request (HNZ00012585) on 6 April 2023, asking
for the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
“Please explain the discrepancies in numbers in your OIA response;
You stated that: 767 abortions up to 13 weeks, 17 abortions 14 to 19 wheels, 1 abortion 20
to 25 weeks which totals 785 abortions. However, when asked the total number of medical
and surgical abortions you said:
Medical = 210
Surgical = 578
This means that 3 abortions aren't accounted for. Please explain.
Furthermore, your "no response" to my question about where cremated remains are
scattered is evasive.”
I am sorry for the delay in responding to you. Your follow up request was overlooked and not
progressed as it should have been. This is something we are striving to ensure does not happen in
the future.
Regarding your request, the three terminations not accounted for were coded as ‘unspecified
gestation period’. This is likely due to the diagnostic, investigation, procedure sheet, sent to the
coders not including the gestation. Normal practice would be for the coders to request the
information from the clinical team, which has not happened in this situation. We have reviewed the
files, and the three previously not accounted for were up to 13 weeks’ gestation, a total of 770
terminations carried out at Rotorua Hospital up to 13 weeks.
How to get in touch
Again, my apologies for the delay in providing this response.
If you have any questions, you can contact us a
t [Health New Zealand request email]. If you are not happy with
this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman. Information about how
to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Te Whatu Ora may
proactively release a copy of this response on our website. All requester data, including your name
and contact details, will be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Gary Lees
Te Whatu Ora Acting Group
Director Operations for Lakes
TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
