The Southern District Health Board has said it would charge more than $2200 to look through emails and letters between it and six home-based support providers in order to decide whether they could be released.
The Otago Daily Times asked for correspondence from December 1 to March 1 between the board and providers shortlisted for a controversial new home support service.
The shake-up ended Presbyterian Support Otago's $5.5 million annual contract for the service it had long provided. In his response, communications director Steve Addison said the ODT request would involve about 30 hours of staff time, and if the newspaper went ahead with the request it would be charged an estimated $2204.
The board also extended the time it could legally respond by four weeks. Last week, the board also indicated it might charge to release information on assaults on health staff, which is commonly requested information.
However, yesterday it said it would release the information free of charge, although further information about whether assaults were referred to police would not be available free of charge.
The Otago Daily Times has halted its request relating to home-based support provider correspondence and referred the board's decision on charging to the Office of the Ombudsman.
