Ross Brown
The death occurred at Te Whare Maiangiangi, Tauranga Hospital’s acute mental health unit.
Government health agency Te Whatu Ora is refusing to release information on the suspected suicide of a patient in its care.
Stuff has been trying for two months to get details about a suspected suicide of a mental health patient at Tauranga Hospital. Stuff understands the case raised concerns about a lack of monitoring and staffing.
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It’s understood a woman is suspected to have killed herself in the acute mental health inpatient unit, Te Whare Maiangiangi, some time last year and had not been checked as often as required.
Stuff approached the hospital asking for details, including the date of the death, whether any internal inquiry had been launched and whether the coroner had been alerted.
James Fuller, acting communications manager for Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty, wrote back saying “we do not comment on individual cases out of respect for the individual and/or whānau”.
Without further details, the Justice Department was unable to say whether the coroner had been alerted.
Stuff then made an Official Information Act (OIA) request to Te Whatu Ora. Because health details of deceased people can in some circumstances be withheld under the Privacy Act, Stuff did not seek the person’s name or identifying features.
Instead, information was sought on any deaths, self-inflicted or otherwise, at the Tauranga Hospital mental health unit over the past two years, the date of the death, whether they were discovered alive or dead, what efforts were made to revive them, whether police attended and what inquiries were launched.
Ross Brown
Te Whare Maiangiangi is part of Tauranga Hospital.
Any internal reports, with identifying features removed, were also requested, with a description of what changes had been implemented as a result.
OIA requests are normally actioned within 20 working days. But Te Whatu Ora said it needed more time because “the consultations necessary to make a decision… are such that a proper response cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit”.
The agency finally provided a response this week, two months after the original request.
Sasha Wood, interim head of Government services in the Office of the Chief Executive, wrote that between January 2021 and August 2023, there were two recorded deaths at Te Whare Maiangiangi.
No further information was included.
Wood said her office had determined “the need to protect the privacy of these individuals is not outweighed by the public interest in the release of this information”.
Even with significant redactions, or a summary of events, the individuals would be identifiable, she claimed.
Speaking generally, Wood said if a death occurred in an inpatient mental health ward it was notified to the coroner and “fully investigated”.
Matt Doocey, National’s mental health spokesperson, said Te Whatu Ora needed to assure the public that it was investigating the deaths.
“There is a balance between patient privacy and scrutiny that the appropriate investigations are taking place,” Doocey said.
“I do hope that patient privacy can be maintained while at the same time assurance given that the appropriate investigations are underway.”
Stuff has asked the Ombudsman to review Te Whatu Ora’s decision not to release any details.
