I am requesting aggregated, non-identifiable annual data on ACC-funded low back pain claims, covering 2010 to the most recent complete financial year available. For each year, please provide: Number of new claims registered or accepted. Number of active claims for which ACC made a payment. Total claim expenditure. Healthcare and rehabilitation expenditure. Weekly compensation expenditure. Other claim-related expenditure, where available. Please clearly describe how “low back pain” is defined, including the diagnosis, injury-site, or read codes used, and whether the figures include specific spinal conditions or only non-specific low back pain. The preferred format is CSV or Excel, with a supporting data dictionary or explanatory notes. All data should be aggregated, with small cells suppressed where necessary to protect privacy.

There is limited publicly accessible information showing how the annual number and cost of ACC-funded low back pain claims have changed over time. Existing published figures often cover selected years, combine low back pain with other spinal conditions, or do not distinguish healthcare costs from weekly compensation and other claim expenditure. This makes it difficult to assess trends and understand the burden of low back pain on New Zealand’s accident compensation and healthcare systems

Providing a consistent annual time series would enable researchers, healthcare providers, policymakers, and the public to examine trends in low back pain claims and expenditure, identify changes in service demand, and support evidence-informed planning and evaluation. The data would also support research into improving treatment and referral pathways for people with low back pain in New Zealand.