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20 February 2017
Antony Andrews
[FYI request #5380 email]
Dear Antony
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act, made to the Health Quality &
Safety Commission (the Commission) on 14 February.
The Commission’s role, set out in legislation,
1 is to lead and coordinate quality improvement to
improve the quality and safety of health care and to advise government. As a part of this work,
the Commission guides and supports the New Zealand health care sector in managing,
reporting and analysing adverse events. Our role includes maintaining a central repository for
collecting information about adverse events and alerts.
In your request to us you asked:
On your website http://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-programmes/adverse-events/serious-
adverse-events-reports/ the adverse event reports only goes back as far as 2006 - 2007.
I would like to request under Official Information Act 1982, to provide the adverse event
report for 2005-06.
The first national publication of adverse events (titled Serious & Sentinel Events at the time)
was the report you refer to, published in 2006/07.
Prior to this time, there was no national report on adverse events within the health care sector.
As the Commission was established in 2010, my staff discussed your request with the Ministry
of Health and were advised that as there were no earlier reports, they also do not hold the
information requested. Therefore, in response to your request under section 18(e) of the Official
Information Act
2 I cannot provide the information you have requested, as it does not exist. If you
1 Section 59B, New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000
2 ‘That the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable
efforts to locate it, cannot be found’
would like further information, please send an email to
[Health Quality and Safety Commission request email] and my staff will
respond.
You have the right, by way of complaint (under section 28(3) of the Official Information Act
1982) to the Ombudsman, to seek an investigation and review of the Commission's decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
0800 802-602.
Kind regards
Dr Janice Wilson
Chief Executive
