Corporate Services
24 June 2020
Amy S Van Wey Lovatt
Email: [FYI request #12432 email]
Dear Amy
YOUR OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT (1982) REQUEST HBDHB REF: OIA2020041
I refer to your Official Information Act request dated 11 March 2020 where you requested
information from Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (HBDHB). Your questions and HBDHB’s response
is provided below:
1. I am writing to request a copy of the HBDHB best practice protocol for the archiving,
storage, or biobanking of human tissue for diagnostic purposes, whether they are formalin
fixed, paraffin embedded or pathology slides, and the standards, legislation or scientific
evidence which provides the basis for the HBDHB protocol.
Hawke’s Bay DHB’S Histology department is International Accreditation of New Zealand
(IANZ) accredited and follows the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council
(NPAAC) standards which states that reports, blocks and slides shall be retained for 10 years,
with the exception of paediatric samples which must be retained for 25 years.
Hawke’s Bay DHB does not distinguish between paediatric samples and adult samples.
Therefore, all paraffin embedded blocks and slides are stored for 25 years.
Please refer to the attached records and samples policy relating to the best practice
standards applied within the Laboratory.
2. Is the HBDHB best practice protocol for the archiving, storage, or biobanking of human
tissue for diagnostic purposes, whether they are formalin fixed, paraffin embedded or
pathology slides, is a standard which is universal y adopted by al NZ DHB's and medical
laboratories, or does each DHB or medical laboratory determine their own best practice?
Hawke’s Bay DHB can only comment on its own policies and not that of other district health
boards. Please contact other DHB’s directly, or the Ministry of Health if you require a
national overview.
Hawke’s Bay DHB’S policies align with the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council
(NPAAC) standards (7th Edition 2018) and keeps within the requirements set out in ISO15189
(which is a mandatory requirement for laboratories to be accredited).
3. Please explain the potential hazards of leaving formalin fixed, paraffin embedded or
pathology slides in an unsecure, non-temperature regulated environment (say a on an
employee's desk outside of the laboratory) for 2 months.
C H I E F E X E C U T I V E ’ S O F F I C E
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board
Telephone 06 878 8109 Fax 06 878 1648 Email
: [email address]; www.hawkesbay.health.nz
Corporate Office, Cnr Omahu Road and McLeod Street, Private Bag 9014, Hastings 4156, New Zealand
Hawke’s Bay DHB’s Histology Laboratory is a secure facility that can only be accessed by
laboratory staff. The lab is control ed by ventilation and air conditioning to ensure
environmental factors will not adversely affect slides. Should Pathologists request for blocks
to accompany slides to external sites for further testing, all appropriate measures are taken
to ensure the safety and integrity of the slides remain so that there is no adverse effect on
the block at any time.
4.
Please provide me with the name of the independent agency or agencies which provides
oversight for medical laboratories in NZ.
Hawke’s Bay DHB’s Laboratory is IANZ) accredited. All laboratory staff are governed by the
New Zealand Medical Sciences Council. Pathologists are all Fellows of the Royal College of
Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA).
I trust this information meets your needs. If you would like any further information or clarification
please phone me. If you are not satisfied with this response you may contact the Office of the
Ombudsman, phone 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, or an edited version of this response, may be published on the
Hawke’s Bay DHB website after your receipt of this response.
Yours sincerely
Chris Ash
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, PROVIDER SERVICES
TE PUNI RATONGA
cc:
Ministry of Health via email: [email address]
[Hawke's Bay District Health Board request email]
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